Music
About to support Bright Eyes on these shores for the second time in a year, it's clear that Warner Bros is pushing their recent signing hard. More Adventurous is Rilo Kiley's major label debut, having released their previous two records on Omaha's very own Saddle Creek. As a result, they've plunged loads of cash into the production: even Mark Trombino's contributed on three tracks. The stripped-down sound of both The Execution Of All Things and Takeoffs and Landings has changed completely - no longer is it just guitars, drums, voice, and occasionally electronic effects, we now have string and brass sections popping up with gay abandon. This has really altered the depth of the sound, as the previous albums mostly served as a means of highlighting Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett's vocal talents.
Despite all of this, the only way the songwriting has really been affected is the transfer in focus from Sennett to Lewis. Sennett's voice only gets one outing in the whole album: in the song Ripchord, an acoustic number. Unfortunately, this seems a bit token: in terms of melody it's fairly forgettable, and it's a pity that there's not more interaction between the two during the album, as in previous releases.
But Jenny Lewis has a truly remarkable alto voice, full of soul and with an impressive range. There's a variety of styles exhibited here - it's difficult to pigeonhole the band. Songs like I Never, slightly reminiscent of Teenage Lovesong from Takeoffs exhibit their talent for alt-country, while Love And War is much more angry, almost suggestive of Karen O.
Unfortunately, this album is remarkably inconsistent. The opening track, It's A Hit, is the weakest, and almost embarrassing - a crude attack on George W. Bush, with lines like 'Any fool can play executioner for a day'. This has been done before, repeatedly, and better, and despite the album having been released in the States in plenty of time for November's election, it's difficult to fathom anyone treating it as decent satire. What's more, the song itself is bland and unremarkable. The title track is also weak: while it's much more stripped-down than much of the album, without drums, it never really goes anywhere. This isn't to say that there aren't good songs - the second track, Does He Love You? really takes advantage of the extra musicians on the album and is lyrically outstanding, and Portions for Foxes is more reminiscent of their best early work, sounding like it could be pulled off incredibly live, with Lewis pouring her emotions out into the microphone. All in all, though, these songs just illustrate that the album could have been one of the best of the year, but, as it stands, it just has too much filler.
So this is just what the British music scene needs, another dose of lethargic piano-led indie pop/rock? From the first minor chords of "Chances", Tourist sticks to the formula that Radio 2-friendly bands have been boring us into submission with lately.
That said, there are a few standout tracks that are sure to get cigarette lighters aloft at the summer festivals. The aforementioned "Chances" departs from an uninspired verse into an inspirational soaring chorus, reminiscent of Snow Patrol's 'Run', showing the true potential of Athlete and making them an exciting prospect to see live.
From that impressive start the album can never recover, with songs such as 'Street Map' sounding like they've been stolen from a romantic comedy soundtrack, used for the part in the film where there is the depressing twist before the 'everything's ok in the end'.
Clearly, Athlete have considerable musical talent and potential, but what they lack is original ideas. Apart from the occasional flourish of synths as displayed in 'Half Light', practically every song fits the generic formula that has made coldplay into Millionaires. This makes Tourist the perfect backing music to a dinner party, but causes it never to grab the attention of the listener and hold it for more than the occasional chorus.
Many moons ago a young lad met a guy called 'Flea', who just happened to be looking for a guitarist to replace his recently deceased former band member. Sound like a likely story?
Perhaps not, but that's when it all began, and the young, burgeoning band that is the Red Hot Chili Peppers sprang alive. Since then the band, not least the guitarist in question, John Frusciante, have (willingly or otherwise) lived life to the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll-fuelled full.
But how times change. After splitting from, then rejoining the RHCPs in '99, the new (clean, straight...) Frusciante has a story to tell. His plan: six albums in as many months. Anybody sceptical? But as the sixth of these, Curtains contains every ounce of the raw emotion and maturity you would hope for. Showing a blatant disregard for mainstream desires, the songs have a simple, open, startling beauty - the result of a tempestuous two decades. The lyrics are telling and substantial, from the opener 'and then the past recedes and I won't be involved', through darker spells right to the close.
Combining subtle acoustics and electric licks, pianos and harmonicas, it sometimes smacks of Dylan, but he pulls it off effortlessly.
27th Jan 2005