Indie pop/rock. Fairly mellow, full, late-night-driving music that gets harder and faster as album progresses. Think recent My Morning Jacket or Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah/Flaming Lips hybrid. Also drawn comparisons to Pixies, Modest Mouse, and Talking Heads. Lead-vocalist Sean Parker sings in a high, soft voice (sometimes sounding amazingly prepubescent… yet controlled). Still, there is a slight darkness hiding in the music somewhere (maybe in the deep base running behind a lot of their songs.) They like splitting up their instruments between the left and right speakers—especially their “trademark” intertwining guitars. The deeper into songs and the deeper into the CD you get the louder, faster, and esp. quirkier it becomes as they start throwing in new sounds and instruments. FCC clean. Great CD (really enjoyed all but 6&9). Standout tracks: 4,5,8,11
1. Mellow due to bass, guitars, and backing vocal “sighs” and “ooos.” A bit repetitive but at 4:00 piano enters, adding variety and driving song to a close. Has the split-speaker intertwining guitars.
2. Buzzing guitars; catchy, simple formula. Fall more in love with the song as it builds—adding nice instrumental variety with each new verse.
3. Begins with echoing synth and solid drum beat that hold throughout song. Voice plays off synth and bass well—especially ending the song. Enjoyed “strange as who you are” middle section.
***4. Vocals hint at Flaming Lips (both delivery and lyrical material). Good guitar interplay too. Base bridge at 3:00 leading into a well-placed trumpet sequence which complements lyrics “Save the Monster; Mame the queen”—adds nice old English/King Arthur undertone to end the song.
***5. A faster song and shorter song. Builds off the guitar. Strong drumbeat and heavy base running in the background. Powerful vocals (especially to start).
6. Vocal driven. Fairly repetitive drums and guitar. Just not feeling this track. Pretty boring beat to it.
7. Another faster song. Voice can get really high (especially at beginning). Strong, heavy feedback guitar strums contrast with picking of a higher, lighter guitar. The guitar interplay is what makes this song which is at its best when its moving fast.
***8. Short, solid song. Quirky. Slower beat. Bass and “Hello, hello, hello”s play well off each other. Thrown in background noises add a lot. Simple formula makes it easy to follow and catchy.
9. CD’s title from this track. Female vocals accenting. Parker sings in very high pitch, which detracts instead of adds to the song. Shame b/c the verses, female vocals, and guitars had a lot of potential.
10. Instruments sound a lot like Built to Spill. Starts soft and slow (shaker driven), but really is one of the louder and harder songs as loud feedback guitar and wall of sound chorus come in at 1:00.
***11. One of the better vocal efforts on the album. Violin used very well: adds a fullness to the sound and complements the guitars. Again they bring the shakers :).
12. A non-track. 0:27 violin driven, no vocals, but from album perspective does well to emphasize the violins in track 11 and bring CD to a close.