The Rosebuds – Life Like

The Rosebuds should be huge. Not in an “everywhere you go, there they are” Coldplay type huge. More like in a Decemberists/Spoon sort of way. It’s difficult to pinpoint why this is when they have everything going for them. Across four albums, their latest Life Like, they’ve built upon an original sound of low-key pop, awash in tides of keyboards and sha-la-la’s, while exploring new and old terrains with great success each time. Maybe they’re not literary or edgy enough. Or the fact they don’t drape their songs in smugness or self referential meta-whatever it is. Perhaps it’s a lack of irony. Unfortunately these appear the things you need to rise to the next level.

The darkness that was so prevalent on Night of the Furies is retained in songs such as “Cape Fear,” sounding sinister but still poppy. Life Like is a classic Rosebuds album, all the aforementioned pieces in place, but for whatever reason it doesn’t catch fire as the previous albums do. It’s perhaps the first that feels as though they’re treading water and that is a very difficult for me to say. I’ve always looked to The Rosebuds to provide an escape from the self serious; to provide a time to feel good without bowing to clichés or current trends. But from the get-go singer/guitarist Ivan Howard announces he’s “found a clean way out” and this is a feeling of despair that runs throughout the album. Even on the uplifting “Bow To The Middle”, a classic slice of foil Kelly Crisps’ “yeah yeah” backing vocals, the verses make reference to being the devil if you dance to his voice.

This however is perhaps why The Rosebuds exist in their own world, where hip doesn’t matter. The pair are far too humble, honest, and, well, to borrow a common phrase from this election season, folksy, to be caught up in the snide indie world. Songs about the devil and a tender ode to the passing of a neighborhood fox could only come from an area such as North Carolina, where the band resides. And only could they take a vintage record with Howard’s grandfather singing and not make it sound like an ironic trick. It’s one of only a few moments on Life Like where there is a profound celebration of life, one that was known as their stock in trade. Howard supplies some acoustic M. Ward style guitar overtop of a scratchy record, which I imagine to be one of those heavy duty slabs of vinyl, played on an old Victrola, and builds upon that with some joyous whistling.
Before they wander too far off the tracks the albums’ closer “In The Backyard” brings us back full circle, a wonderful song that could fit on any of their previous albums. It also stands as a perfect end piece to wrap the album back to the beginning. Life Like may not beg for repeated listens as much as Birds Make Good Neighbors but it’s still an honest and original piece of work that is sorely needed in these times.

MoHa! – One-Way Ticket to Candyland

MoHa! (yes the exclamation point is part of the band name) is from Norway and One-Way Ticket to Candyland is the duo’s third album for avant-garde label Rune Grammofon. Comprised of Anders Hana on guitar and electronics and Morton J. Olsen on drums, their music has far more in common with U.S. groups such as Lightning Bolt and The Locust than anything I’ve heard from Norway recently. The music on this latest album is not only a fair representation of their general sound but also showcases a vast amount of improvement over their previous full-lengths, Raus Aus Stavanger and Norwegianism.

MoHa! recordings are basically the kind of spazzed-out noise rock you’d expect to hear from two guys who possibly consumed a vast amount of sugar and then went medieval all over their instruments. At the same time, the songs on One-Way Ticket to Candyland are practically labyrinthine in construction. Hallmarks of the album include difficult time-signatures and songs that stop on a dime and change direction while moving along at the speed of light. Imagine if you will The Locust’s Plague Soundscapes without any vocals and you’d be very close to what MoHa! achieve here. The stringed instrument/drum combination is sure to bring Lightning Bolt and Hella comparisons anyway but the songs here are practically ejaculated out with the same feral veracity.

Although MoHa! makes music that is seemingly easy to identify with ready-made genre tags and reference bands, One-Way Ticket to Candyland provides a depth and understanding of structure that fits their aesthetic that might prove stifling to other bands. While blasting along at near grindcore speed at times and with math rock or prog time signatures, MoHa! marry these to messy blurts of electronic junk splatter. The duo’s latest album is highly enjoyable and a bright light amongst a sea of dim ones.

Small Wonders #13

Asobi Seksu - Me & Mary 7″

Polyvinyl (http://www.polyvinylrecords.com)

Asobi Seksu give us a brief preview of their upcoming full-length (due either in November or February depending on where you seek the release date….). “Me & Mary” is from the album and continues in much the same vein as their excellent Citrus album, meaning that it sounds like Ride and Slowdive mixed together. Like most of the modern shoegazers, Asobi Seksi are a little more heavy handed with their drumming than the original crop. These propulsive rhythms drive this song in particular while the flip side, “Breathe Into Glass” is a little slower and more introspective. They don’t veer too far into new territory but they’re very good at what they do which makes this one well worth picking up.

 

Prurient - Time Began in a Garden 2xC-10

Hospital Productions (http://www.hospitalproductions.com)

Dominick Fernow just keeps on cranking them out this year. After the much beloved And Still, Wantingand the so-so Arrowhead and even still the compilation Cocaine Death which was also quite good, now we get this. If you’re looking for more of the super distorted melodic work like the more recent stuff or even some hissing mic noise then you’ll be sorely disappointed. This double cassette is more along the lines of dark ambient artists like Deathprod or Non. It’s great stuff and if you’re a fan of Dom’s work in general there is no reason to miss out here. The cover has an image of JonBenet Ramsey’s face juxtaposed with a space shuttle blasting off. It’s creepy as fuck, reminds me of something David Lynch would do and just in time for Halloween!

 

Sarah Ramey/The Red F – split 7″

L’animaux Tryst (Field) Recordings (http://lanimauxtryst.blogspot.com/)

Sarah Ramey kicks off this split with two very lovely tracks entitled “Magic” and “Jane.” Very quiet and lovely folk music. I wouldn’t call either of them “freak folk” by any means but something about it sounds otherworldy. The same goes for The Red F. They contribute only one song on the other side of the split but it creeps along at a snails pace and loses absolutely nothing for it. Gorgeous with hand made packaging to boot, how could it not come recommended?

 

Drone Parva/Prisma – split 7″

L’animaux Tryst (Field) Recordings ( http://lanimauxtryst.blogspot.com/)

Another one in the Tryst Haunt series! The Drone Parva side is instrumental folk with meandering psychedelic guitar leads. Reminds me a whole lot of Six Organs of Admittance. The Prisma side is dronier with a somber female vocal. For some reason I’m reminded ofmy favorite parts of Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice or Jackie-O Motherfucker. I’m sure comparisons to Charlambides could also be drawn but Prisma brings something else to the table on this that is esoteric enough on its own. Clear green vinyl and limited as hell like all of the others in the series.

Interview with Erica Elektra of Hearts of Palm UK

Photo Credit: Ian Broyles

Delusions of Adequacy: Hi Erica! Thanks so much for doing this interview with me. I spun your new album For Life recently and was beguiled by your cool, electro-pop sound, engaging melodies, bittersweet lyrics, and warm, clear vocals. You have a lot going on now with the release of your album on October 14 and an album release party slated for the following day.

I’m mucho confused about who is in the band these days, except that, of course, you are the heart of the band. When did you start the band and what is your current line-up?

Erica: Haha, well, we like to keep the band shrouded in mystery. In actuality, Hearts of Palm UK is more a collective of people who I’ve worked (and am working) with. Sonia (aka Frankie Rose) and I started the band together, in around November 2006… and since then, it’s evolved on many levels. Jamie Kaye (aka Billy Kaye) joined HOPUK by first taking photographs of Sonia and I, then recording our demo, and only then did she start playing with us. We recorded For Life with Dan Horne at Lone Palm Studios in Echo Park, and he’s an amazing musician who really contributed to a lot of the instrumentation on the album. And we have talented friends who play music, and have added to our album, so of course their energies have touched Hearts of Palm UK. So I really see Hearts of Palm UK as a collective of musicians that I work with… of friends having fun making music.

DOA: You’ve been in the music arena pretty much all your life, what with your mom being a piano teacher and giving you lessons when you were a kid. How did that go? Did you rebel against her at all or did things go smoothly?

Erica: It was rough. She was really strict. I started playing piano when I was three…and I remember having to practice 1 hour every single day of my life except for my birthday. And of course it caused drama, and I rebelled…but it was always something I excelled at. I used to be a really good classical pianist! But then I stopped practicing…and I don’t know…it’d take some time to pick up again.

DOA: How about taking singing lessons? You have a really lovely voice and I’m just wondering when you realized that you could, and wanted to, sing, and if you actively worked on that aspect of your musicality.

Erica: Oh wow, thank you so much. I have never had singing lessons. It was so weird and natural…I started learning guitar and immediately began to write songs and sing. I never really questioned it. And then I started bands, and continued singing and writing, and people just gave me good feedback…and that’s when I guess I realized.

DOA: How did you decide on the final sound of your album For Life? From what I understand, your songs were created with just acoustic guitar and your vocals, but then expanded to include a variety of instrumentation.

Erica: To tell you the truth, I don’t think I ever “decided” on the final sound of the album. I just created music, and worked with the people I wanted to, and the sound just kinda followed. I did make a conscious decision to go from a traditional “band” setup with guitar, bass, drums to a more electronic vibe… mostly because I liked having the control of being able to really make the music that I felt, but how I could also add in tons of other sounds that wouldn’t have normally be available using more “organic” instruments.

DOA: I like how the varied sounds in your songs run for brief cycles, but intricately flow with one another to create a smooth to gently percolating, but always pleasant, vibe. What kinds of electronic, and other, sounds did you include on your album?

Erica: I wanted to have a balance of acoustic/analog instruments mixed in with all my keyboard parts. Of course, there are tons of keyboards we used… Lots of vintage analog synthesizers and things like that, but we also added instruments like bongos, harmonica, bass, acoustic guitar, drums and live hand percussion, omnichord, violin, cello, etc…There are so many components to the songs, both digital and analog, electronic and acoustic. I thought that would give it a really nice varied sound, something a little more untraditional perhaps.

DOA: For Life is being released on the NY-based Hypnote record label, but it was mastered in Sweden by Henrik Jonsson who has worked with bands like Peter, Bjorn & John, Camera Obscura, and The Concretes. What did he bring to the table in reference to the sound or style of the album?

Erica: Henrik brings this gloss, this sound, I almost don’t know how to explain it… He took everything we brought to him, and did some sort of Swedish magic. Made every song sound perfect, but with this edge to it. This kinda gritty polish.

Photo Credit: Ian Broyles

DOA: Can you go through the process of how you create a song? Do you have a general way of shaping a song, where you come up with the lyrics first, or maybe the melody?

Erica: I think I often come up with a melody first. I’ll be sitting on my back patio, or driving to work, or in the shower, and something will come to me. I try to record the audio on my cell phone so I don’t forget it… melody lines can be fleeting! Then when I’m feeling like being musical, maybe on Sunday afternoon, or a nice Wednesday evening, I flip open the cell phone and listen to some of the ideas I’ve come up with…Then I just start recording tracks on my keyboard to match what I thought of, sequencing them, and fleshing out the song. Lyrics usually come last. Alternately, I’ll pick up the guitar and come up with some basic chord progression/note pattern, and then transfer that onto the keyboard, flesh it out, and just naturally start singing something along as I work… but lyrics are almost always last.

DOA: You are also a songwriter and wrote all the songs on this album, with the exception of one cover tune (“More Than This” by Bryan Ferry). While some of your song lyrics are pure blissful sunshine in relation to love and self-identity, most of the lyrics have a melancholic edge which is reflected in your vocals. For instance, the song “So Long” sports the words “Life is hard. / I’m doing my best / but is it good enough? / Days keep going forward / without me.” Do you write your lyrics when you are emotionally conflicted or do the words come to you at any time, like even when you’re in a contented mood?

Erica: Hmmm…I write lyrics usually when I’m feeling overwhelmed with some kind of emotion. And I really try to just let them flow out, without analyzing them too much. I can’t help it, but music is my diary. Of course I have more time alone, at home to write music when I’m feeling down. Those are exactly the times when I sometimes feel strange about life, and when I feel compelled to sing about what I’m feeling and going through. When I’m out and about with people, it’s not like I’m really in music writing mode…It’s not like I’m at a bbq and suddenly am like, “hey guys, gotta go, it’s music time!”

DOA: Your sound has a bit of a 1980s retro vibe due to the use of keyboards, and I’m wondering who your fave bands and singers are from the “MTV-generation” decade. I’m a fan of bands like a-ha and Pet Shop Boys, who are still releasing albums, Wham!, and Duran Duran and singers like Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, who are still on the map too.

Erica: Ohmygod, I LOVED The Go-Go’s when I was a teenager. I was slightly obsessed. And Cyndi Lauper, Madonna…totally. Of course! They are huge inspirations…How could they not be? I also loved Erasure and Yaz…

Illustration Credit: Margaret Wuller

DOA: The album cover art is beautiful and eye-catching. Is the illustration, done by Margaret Wuller, created specifically for you? How did that come about?

Erica: Margaret is my talented illustrator friend, so I knew for sure that when I did an album, she’d have to make the cover! I think I was telling her about my love of art nouveau posters, and we went to the library to check some out, and I was like, “I want US to be like that!!!”, so she did a sort of “homage” to Alphonse Mucha posters a la Hearts of Palm UK.

DOA: You shot a video for the song “I Flow”. How did the shoot go and what was the concept? I think maybe it had a prom theme?

Erica: The prom video was actually the first one we ever did… We shot it last year, and it was for the demo version of the song “People & Logistics”. We used archival footage (from an old movie showing teenagers the perils of drinking and driving) and inter-spliced it with the footage we shot. We tried to match the vibe of the archival video…It’s pretty hilarious.

The “I Flow” video has got a totally different futuristic/clean vibe. We haven’t even seen it yet! I think it’s going to be finished next week. We used a lot of green screen. And mannequins. It was a good time. I don’t want to say what the concept is until I actually see the video!

DOA: Speaking of “vibes”, I read at the blog on your MySpace profile that you’ve now been electrocuted twice!! What is going on with that? Have you gone to a doctor to get checked out after these crazy incidents?

Erica: All I can say is that I’m prone to electrocution. It’s crazy. Like I just realized I almost had this CRAZY electrical fire in my living room. My socket is black, and I never even noticed. Haha. I’m terrible. And yes, I’ve been to the hospital for one of the incidents – this was when I was living in New York City, and my apartment flooded while I was playing electric bass.

DOA: What is your official site address and where can we purchase your albums?

Erica: I think our album is pretty much available everywhere… in stores, iTunes, Amazon… Our website is: www.heartsofpalmuk.com

The Pica Beats – Beating Back the Claws of the Cold

The opening lines of “Poor Old Ra” sound like the cheerful introduction to a movie set in the Middle East. It’s these spacey, larger than life and atmospheric sounds that make up the majority of the sounds on The Pica Beats’ Beating Back the Claws of the Cold. But what these Beats attempt in ambition and otherworldliness, they lack in creativity and hooks.

Ryan Barrett is the chief songwriter for The Pica Beats and he writes all of the music, sings on all of the songs and plays a lot of the instruments. It’s his uncertain and sometimes, weak voice that only hinders the album’s general mood. A song like “Hope, Was Not a Family Tradition” is supported by ethereal backing vocals and eerie instrumentation but somewhere near the midway point, the music cuts out to reveal a meek-singing Barrett, before more of the same occurs. The album is truly mired by a case of the “sameness.” Although a lot of Barrett’s debut can be attributed to his love for the sitar and other Middle-Eastern sounds, he does little to stretch the sound’s spectrum. What you are left with are eleven songs that all sound relatively similar and that don’t posses enough catchy melodies to pair with their motivated creator.

“Territoire” sounds awkwardly out of place as Barrett sings in a rushed and hurried cadence as the music thumps and rustles around him. The bass is lost in the mix and the vocal’s chant-like style make for a sloppy closing to the album. Some of the songs like “Summer Cutting Kale” start off distinctive from its predecessor or follower but they then follow with the same failing techniques. Usually it’s a waddling shtick like the discomfited vocals, a redundant musical phrase or the overuse of dubbing and atmospherics.

An instrumental song like “Martine, As Heavy Lifter” is lost in the album’s overall scope and the fact that it’s drawn out for almost four minutes of the same monotonous melody doesn’t help. That isn’t to say the all of the album falls on deaf ears as is evident with the great music featured on “Hikikomori and the Rental Sisters.” The latter song is everything Beating Back the Claws of the Cold should have been — it’s gripping and musical, it’s unique and captivating and most of all, it’s exceptional. Barrett combines his best strengths to deliver one of the album’s few shining spots; it’s just a shame there aren’t more of them on here.

The Wanteds – Failure Looks So Good

Do you want the Wanteds? It’s tough to say. I can’t give Failure Looks So Good a stunning endorsement, but I can’t totally denounce it either. It’s the textbook definition of an alright record, with signs of potential buried underneath a layer of droning, static melodies.

The opener, “Ladysmith”, kicks off with a killer, squealing guitar lick that cranks into the fourth gear immediately, and stays there for an explosive finale. “Too Soon For Always” falters a bit after starting off dreamy with heavily delayed guitars and trippy vocals – it drops off into this derivative, simplistic chorus. Unfortunately, the same kind of watery rhythms plague a good portion of the rest of the record, save the slanted, driving “Oblivion” and the punchy, up tempo crunch that opens up “Blacksheep Energy”. The closer, “Something Boring”, is the only real departure from the formula, and its bluesy influences really lend to and accentuate the throaty screechings of singer/guitarist Tommy Harrington.

The biggest problem with this record is the repetition. The same, buzzy, hollow tone echos throughout the album, and refuses to let go, save for a cool, droning comedown with “Heart Shaped”. Overall, its less heavy and razor-sharp than Nirvana, and less melodic and intricate than Silversun Pickups, but it has the same bite and edge to it, if slightly diluted. This is nothing to kill yourself over, but it’s a worthwhile effort from a band that only needs to tighten their musicianship to achieve success.

Pinataland – Songs for the Forgotten Future Vol. 2

If you don’t consider Songs for the Forgotten Future Vol. 2 one of the most anticipated new records of the year, well, you just haven’t been paying enough attention.

Released a full five years after Pinataland’s majestic full-length debut, the new record owns up to the promise of its predecessor, packing 10 songs and some 48 minutes with 18 contributors on everything from guitar, upright bass and pedal steel to mandolin, cello, dobro and banjo. Like the collection that preceded it, Songs for the Forgotten Future Vol. 2’s ambitions are not small and producer JD Foster, a new set of hands at the studio helm, helps provide a sound and scope to prove it.

But, a penchant for scissored-in audio clips aside, the similarities between Volumes 1 and 2 somewhat end there. The first record was an engaging musical tour of historical fiction whose palette included a one-of-a-kind blend of contemporary folk-pop, Old World balladry, They Might Be Giants-style theatricality and bizarre carnival charm. The new one is a slightly more straight-forward take on Americana and, appropriately, the frontier folk of American memory. (In short, there’s a whole lot more pedal steel.)

That’s not to say Songs for the Forgotten Future Vol. 2 is as spare as some old dustbowl refrain. Far from it. The record combines the studied narratives of David Wechsler and Doug Stone – read the stories behind the songs at www.pinataland.com — with sweeping strings (“If Ice Were Warm”), show-stopping Broadway breakdowns (the epic-sounding “Dream of the New Mary”), mod-rock guitars (“In Old New York”) and vaguely hip-hop beats (the excellent “Centralia”).

Though tracks like “The Settlers” or “Ashland,” with their acoustic shuffles, call to mind alt-country or even Calexico, Wechsler’s piano punctuates and steals the spotlight on tracks like “The Ballad of John Banvard” or the dissonant “In Old New York.” While the closing “El Niño” relies on a mournful drone as much as it does guitar, two of the record’s best tracks — “The Fall of Sam Patch” and “The Sky is Blue, the Highway Wide” – kick into gear with toe-tapping verses that make sure to get the blood flowing. (Dedicated fans will find “The Sky is Blue, the Highway Wide” is the new record’s biggest shout-out to the polka-bounce still on display back on Piñataland’s incredible Songs from Konijn Kok EP.)

But the record’s centerpieces show Wechsler and Stone, the group’s songwriting duo, are a careful study in Americana. The notes of the pedal steel guitar are pitch-perfect in songs like “Ashland.” Throughout, acoustic guitars balance with both hushed narration and plaintive wails. Drummer Bill Gerstel’s steady and understated percussion on tracks like “The Settlers” lends an early rockabilly charm to the proceedings. Banjo musician Curtis Eller, who appears here and there, fits right in. It’s a warm and enveloping record, to be sure.

So, what’s the verdict? Well, Songs for the Forgotten Future Vol. 2 is a gem, more a polished stone than the piece that preceded it, and one that’s sure to age as well as the history these guys yearn to preserve.

Find it.

Department of Eagles – In Ear Park

In a different review, I wrote about side-projects and their differentiating similarities. The gist of it was that some work, others don’t and some are just as good as their “bigger” projects. Ultimately, Department of Eagles is not a side-project; as they are a full, great band all on their own. New York University roommates Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear) and Fred Nicolaus have been making music together since 2001. After the minor success of The Cold Nose the band—with a couple of other Grizzly Bears—set out to make their new album. And with In Ear Park, they have easily delivered a spinning array of diverse compositions that recall great giants like Van Dyke Parks and even Paul McCartney.

You don’t have to try hard with this album because it’s easy to get pulled into its superb musicianship. The sparse and gentle beginning of “Phantom Other” is then openly greeted with spectral backing vocals, a loose guitar and rolling drum patterns. Inspired by the passing of Rossen’s father, the accompanying music is utterly magical. Not only does it sound as if you are a part of the music, another member in its wide-open feel but it’s absolutely compelling and captivating. By the end of the song, you are left with Rossen’s chanting, “Look out, we gotta get out now” and it all add up as one of the many, many powerful songs on the album.

This is a huge step forward from the electronica-leaning stylings of The Cold Nose and its somewhat forgettable songs. These songs are totally engrossing and downright impeccable. The stomping atmospherics on “Around the Bay” lend nicely to the menacing melody and Rossen’s equally haunting vocals. And the exceptional aspect of it all is how soothing and calming Rossen’s voice can be, all at the same time. “Floating on the Lehigh” is the culmination of Parks’ influence on this album with music that features swirling vocals and strings, a strumming acoustic guitar and story-telling lyrics.

Everything starts off brilliantly with the title track and its reminiscent melody and tinkling guitars. Foreshadowing much of the music that is to come, it’s highlighted by breathy vocal chants and deep, flowing chords supported by unique instrumentation. And whether it is the charming feel of “No One Does it Like You” or the chilling instrumental, “Therapy Noise,” it all comes together as one thematic, cohesive and central lush arrangement of music.

By the time the closing song, “Balmy Night,” finishes you are left with a soothing feeling. The chugging banjo and flourishing music make up one of the best songs on the album and with something as terrific as In Ear Park that is saying a lot. To be succinct and more importantly, direct, this is a full-fleshed, bona fide, beauty of an album. Through all of the musical intricacies and variances, Rossen and Nicolaus have truly created one of the best albums of the year.

Vivian Girls – Vivian Girls

Vivian Girls are an all-girl trio from Brooklyn, NY. Not to be confused with the goth-punk band Vivian Girls from Australia that also released a self-titled album way back at the beginning of this decade. A note to the Brooklyn band: it’s 2008 already so you CAN use the internet to find out if a band name has been taken already. The Brooklyn group is being called “shoegaze” by some but I find the description highly questionable. Their guitar sound is far more akin to 90′s era indie pop ala Tiger Trap or Gaze than the Jesus & Mary Chain comparisons that have been thrown carelessly in their direction. If we’re talking Psychocandy-era Mary Chain the comparison is so far off base it isn’t funny. On the other hand some of the guitar textures are similar enough to the somewhat fuzzy, jangly tones of Darklands. One thing is clear though, on record at least, Vivian Girls do not share Jesus & Mary Chain’s love of screeching feedback and extreme wall-of-sound volume. In fact, Vivian Girls the album is relatively tame when it comes to intensity. The songs themselves are what make it worth your time.

Vivian Girls is chock full of songs that are closely built on girl-group dynamics and harmonies. The sound is a very simple one that at least on an aesthetic level belies the complexity of some of the arrangements. The band’s Cassie Ramone, Kickball Katy, and Frankie Rose aren’t vocally talented like The Crystals or The Ronettes but they build some nice three part harmonies within their limitations. When glossed over with some echo effects their voices blend together with the music so that the lyrics are fairly indistinguishable aside from the things they want you to hear. The end result is an album of songs that sound like they just barely hang together. It all sounds so loose and unfocused but somehow “All the Time,” “Tell the World,” and “Where Do You Run To” manage to leave an indelible impression.

There’s been a fair amount of hype surrounding the release of this debut album. A limited edition vinyl version came out in the spring and quickly sold out. After that, some fairly ubiquitous website applauded the group and sang the album’s praises to an audience ready and willing to eat shit if said website told them to do it. What you should know is that Vivian Girls’ debut is a good album. There isn’t anything here that makes it outstanding or even worthy of any “best of year” accolades. It is a well-written, solid debut that should at least establish the band a fanbase and give them time to work out some of the imperfections. I’ll wait for album number two before making a definitive decision.

Brown Shoe – Jackalope

When your band has a knack for writing anthemic pop tunes of a disarmingly honest nature, there is little reason to believe the musical mainstream won’t embrace you. The formula worked for arena-rock staples like Coldplay, and nearly 30 years later, it continues to work for U2. But when your signature sound is also heavily adapted from the playbook of acts like Sigur Rós, R.E.M., and My Morning Jacket, you also run the risk of being passed off as just another trite example of pop music that, while altogether melodic and tuneful, is almost entirely devoid of new ideas and originality. And let’s face it: if your trademark sound is a hackneyed combination of chiming guitars, swirling keyboard atmospherics, and lyrics that waver between the ambiguity of Michael Stipe and the sincerity of Bono, you’re going to be hard pressed to find a critic who doesn’t see the band in question being woefully honest about its influences. Such is the case with the Folsom, CA foursome known as Brown Shoe and their third full-length, entitled Jackalope.

The band, buoyed by drummer Jim Mikesell and led by the multi-instrumentalist gaggle of Ryan, Aaron, and Bryson Baggaley, must be given their due credit for refusing to shy away from creating some of the most intense, sincere, and uplifting music in indie pop. Singing your songs without a hint of irony is no easy task in this world of Cold War Kids and Black Kids.

The album begins interestingly enough with “Take This Paper And Burn It,” where the gentle timbre of a hammered dulcimer gives way to an incoming tidal wave of ambient noise. But before the first 30 seconds have passed, the band launches into its first U2/Coldplay homage: the guitars echo and ring in a church bell rhythm, contrasting the melodic flourishes of the keyboard while vocalist Ryan Baggaley delivers his first of several maddeningly vague thoughts: “The worlds all duress cause of the lions laying claim to the glory of the kill.” There’s a pretty clear recovery from this lyrical ambiguity by the time the chorus rolls around, as Ryan sings the song’s title in a cocksure tone that not only demands an audience sing-a-long, but also suggests that he’s ready to move on to better things. If only this were true.

“Aquarium,” a fan favorite at Brown Shoe gigs, features Jim Mikesell pounding out a drumbeat nearly identical to that of the opening track. The lead vocals, which juxtapose the tried and true mix of angelic falsettos and gritty yelps of passion, climax with a defiant fist-pumper backed up by some four to the floor bass drumming: “If it’s all over, then let it be over, cause I can’t say it again.” The sincerity is so unrestrained that you can’t help but wish that it’s all just a joke.

That’s not to say that Jackalope is without any finer moments. “Uh Oh” is a scathing rant against a former lover that finds the dulcet tones of Aaron’s piano taking prominence in the verses before giving way to Ryan’s Edge-like guitar work in the chorus. “Cellar” finds Brown Shoe in a far more creative zone than the rest of the album would have you believe. The overworked combination of reverb-drenched keyboard and guitar is temporarily cast aside to make room for some tastefully produced accordion and banjo playing. Both instruments, so typically maligned in self-conscious rock music, are played with a dignity that are most likely the album’s most sublime four minutes of music. “Late” continues to hint at Brown Shoe’s burgeoning creativity, never fully realized. Stripping down to the bare essentials with only acoustic guitar and timpani to back Ryan’s vocals, the lament is satisfyingly transparent compared to other tracks.

It is obvious why Brown Shoe are frequently namedropped alongside groups like Sigur Rós and My Morning Jacket. What is unclear, and what will be intriguing to follow in the coming years, is whether or not the band can tap deeper into the inherent talent only hinted at on Jackalope and create music that puts them in a league all their own.

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