For those of you who remember & apperciate the so-called “slow-core” genre (ex: Low, Slint, Rodan, Codeine, Galaxy 500, The For Carnation) this is the Kadane Bros. (Bubba and Matt) from the very excellent Bedhead.
This moves in somewhat the same direction as Bedhead but with ex-Come drummer Chris Brokaw . So expect lots of shimmery and strummy guitars. Lots of little notes and a few words that get a lot of mileage. Some sarcastic and occasional bleak lyrics dealing with getting older (Hey, I can relate).
This continues the finely honed path that Bedhead did except the The New Year’s vocals are little clearer (which is good because as much as Bedhead was great the vocalists sounded like he was mumbling sometimes). Defintely the best indie-rock album of the year bar none. This is definetely a band whose music you can make falling in love listening to.
(((((1))))) Slow winding keyboards (with a piano-like sound) and slow harmonic-laden guitars underscoring some great lines about “You won't see the pious praying/They'll be too busy flaying /All the martyrs with better ways/To stop the world decaying...This is why hell is underground/Like a reclaimed bad part of town.”
((((2)))) Wonderful, strummy, country-folk feeling with whispery vocals the get a little louder. All about going to a party that you don’t want to be at (like those shitty ‘required fun’ events for work. Ugh!). “I just want to get out of here and unhook my smile from my ears”.
((((3)))) Sort of funky bass with a click-track drum part. A sort of love but not really love song. “We’re not two peas in a pod, we’re two fingers in Chinese handcuffs”. Ouch!
((((4)))) Slow & twangy then uptempo & strummy distorted guitars in the best Bedhead style. I dunno if this is about work, love or friendship.
((((5)))) Slow sort of Velvets/early Lou Reed style stuff. 1-2 trade off with guitar and drums. Well done stuff leads into super quiet bits like The For Carnation then it hints a hint louder but the guitar parts and changes work out so well (minus that sort of clouding of the vocals amongst all of the volume). Overall quite stark & beautiful pop.
(((((6))))) Lots of drums the drops off into quiet barely strummed guitar and soft but very clear vocals. Lyrics have something to do with the sexual confusion and frustration. Plus a nice female & male duet. “Your friends are givin’ in and squirtin’ out their kin” Ha-ha-ha..uh...yeeeah...
((((7)))) Strumin’, loud & steady with some rad drum & “tiny” guitar chord sounds. The lyrics are self-explainatory.
((((8)))) Guitar notes so quiet & still you can hear them sustain from ear to ear. Gorgeous sounding stuff with such simplicity slowly drives into a country-like twang. All about no escaping getting old. Nice poppy chorus.
((((9)))) Slow plodding beat & very slow and almost spoken vocals. I love how he enunciates every word so elloquently. At first thought, it sounds like they’re talking about the war in the Middle East but it turns around and seems more about promiscuity. I dunno if there’s an FCC with the line “And have those boys ever loved men/ The ones who give head to get ahead” ? Great glockenspiel & viola parts towards the end, too.