Deadsexy by Scarce
1995
Standout tracks: Sense Of Quickness, Honeysimple, Obviously Midnight
Don't you try to save that anchor from drowning 'cause it wont work
From the last time that I tried it, my ears are still pounding and my heart still hurts
As with quite a few of the 33, the first time I heard this album I didn't think much of it. I liked it, but it took a few listens to grow on me. Once it had, I hunted down anything I could find with Scarce's name on - which sadly isn't a great deal!
Scarce were something of mystery, the only photos of them I could find were the crappy ones on inlay sleeves and it was near-impossible to find out anything about them! They still don't have a Wikipedia page. Persistence eventually pointed to a possible reason for this; singer Chick Graining suffered a brain haemorrhage just before completing 'Deadsexy', which not only postponed and jeopardized the release, but it also caused amnesia. He had to relearn his own name and how to play guitar. Although he made a full recovery, any momentum the band had was faded and 'Deadsexy', it seemed, would not only be their first full-length album but also their swansong.
Handy then, that this album should be so utterly fantastic!
Some people have a hard time listening to Chick's voice. It's raw, rough and occasionally flies in the face of pitch and key, but I love it and think it works perfectly! It suits the music, suits the songs, adds conviction to the lyrics and gives everything a more honest, natural feel. The moments when bassist Joyce Raskin sings along with him only make it better!
The guitar is equally raw, but far from amateur. It's a kind-of a country-twinged grunge style, a description which makes it sound bloody awful. The bass and drums are tight and the three-piece make clever use of stops and starts, breakdowns and staccato rhythms.
I know this album inside-out and it's full of wonderful little moments that make me smile! The way it drops to a squeal of feedback at the end of the solo in 'Honeysimple' before crashing back in, 'Obviously Midnight' changing from its acoustic lighter-waving start to its rocking climax, the scream of "I'll be the ash across your sky" at the peak of '(call me) Karona Khrome', the last "how wide" leading to the chorus's in 'All Sideways'. I could go on for hours - and I tend to if prompted.
'Sense Of Quickness' is one of my favourite songs, ever. The chorus contains one of the best chord changes in musical history. There's a bit at the end of the second verse where "When are we gonna get out of this goddamn rain?" is sang then repeated more intensely before slamming into the chorus - it's amazing. This album contains a number of great air-drum moments and there are about five of them in this song. Everything I mentioned above that makes Scarce great is evident in this song! "Oh babe, my skin ain't even holding me in!"
I was lucky enough to see Scarce live last year, years after falling in love with them. It was something I never thought I'd get to see; they played all my favourite songs, I met Joyce and invited her to move into my kitchen. I love this band.
Wednesday 13 May 2009
Boxer (6/33)
Boxer by The National
2007
Standout tracks: Fake Empire, Apartment Story, Brainy
Turn the light out, say goodnight
No thinking for a little while
Let's not try to figure out everything at once!
1 minute and 43 seconds into opener 'Fake Empire' and I already wanted to skip back and hear it again. The song comes together and sets up the album perfectly; it's the band that made the exceptional 'Alligator' and they've scrubbed up a bit!
Thankfully, the extra spit and polish hasn't taken anything away. The occasional screams that lit up songs like 'Available' and 'Abel' are gone, fair enough, but they're not missing. Matt Berninger's vocals still shine in their subdued, one-notch-above-a-mumble way. He twists words around music in a way that no one else does! In 'Mistaken For Strangers', amid rattling drums, he croons "Oh you wouldn't want an angel watching over you, surprise surprise they wouldn't want to watch another uninnocent elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults" it's unclear whether this is a sympathetic observation or a calm yet venomous attack, either way it's brilliant.
Musically, the drums sit high in the mix and drive the album, sometimes obviously 'Squalor Victoria', sometimes subtly 'Start A War'. The way the band fill the remaining space is another strength; every instrument weaving with and sparking off the other, without ego and without overcrowding.
The piano-led music that winds through the second half of 'Slow Show' is one of the most beautiful things The National, or any band, have ever done. 'Apartment Story' follows that with its come-to-dance beat, comforting lyrics and infectious melodies, creating the kind of "rosy-minded fuzz" the song itself speaks of.
I can write positive things about the album, picking out tracks and moments I like, but I can't describe what it is I love about The National! So, I'll end this just by saying 'Boxer' is an incredible piece of work. Really.
2007
Standout tracks: Fake Empire, Apartment Story, Brainy
Turn the light out, say goodnight
No thinking for a little while
Let's not try to figure out everything at once!
1 minute and 43 seconds into opener 'Fake Empire' and I already wanted to skip back and hear it again. The song comes together and sets up the album perfectly; it's the band that made the exceptional 'Alligator' and they've scrubbed up a bit!
Thankfully, the extra spit and polish hasn't taken anything away. The occasional screams that lit up songs like 'Available' and 'Abel' are gone, fair enough, but they're not missing. Matt Berninger's vocals still shine in their subdued, one-notch-above-a-mumble way. He twists words around music in a way that no one else does! In 'Mistaken For Strangers', amid rattling drums, he croons "Oh you wouldn't want an angel watching over you, surprise surprise they wouldn't want to watch another uninnocent elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults" it's unclear whether this is a sympathetic observation or a calm yet venomous attack, either way it's brilliant.
Musically, the drums sit high in the mix and drive the album, sometimes obviously 'Squalor Victoria', sometimes subtly 'Start A War'. The way the band fill the remaining space is another strength; every instrument weaving with and sparking off the other, without ego and without overcrowding.
The piano-led music that winds through the second half of 'Slow Show' is one of the most beautiful things The National, or any band, have ever done. 'Apartment Story' follows that with its come-to-dance beat, comforting lyrics and infectious melodies, creating the kind of "rosy-minded fuzz" the song itself speaks of.
I can write positive things about the album, picking out tracks and moments I like, but I can't describe what it is I love about The National! So, I'll end this just by saying 'Boxer' is an incredible piece of work. Really.
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