Genre: Alternative Rock
General: Seattle-based Scott Kanneberg (aka Spiral Stairs, former singer/guitarist of the 90’s rock band “Pavement”) expresses post-divorce angst and individual creativity on this first full-album release on Matador. This record channels bluesy/country rock sounds of the 70s with lots of twangy lap-steel rifts, laid back acoustic strumming and driving electric guitar licks. However, musical elements of cleaner garage and punk rock are still audible, especially with Kanneberg’s vocal articulations, which sound like a mixture of Mark E. Smith and Iggy Pop. Similar to the writing style of Bill Callahan, Kanneberg uses allegorical lyrics and metaphors that involve animals and elements of nature to draw caricatures of cheating lovers and broken hearts that suffer from emotional denial, anger, and acceptance. This record may not be “Pavement” but it is still worth playing. Start with tracks 4, 8, 6

Track Listing (NO FCCs Detected):

1. True Love (4:10)—bluesy guitar rift opens song, in the last 1:47 the organized instrumentation drops down to elevate a guitar solo
2. Call the Ceasefire (6:43)— percussion and mild reverb creates a slower vibe that is carried by lap steel guitar, piano, acoustic guitar strumming and tremolo effects
3.Cold Change (3:16) Cheery bouncing drums and bass, has more of a pop feel, chorus sings “ba-ba-ba-ba”,
4.Subiaco Shuffle (5:20) Starts harder with choppy electric guitar which opens into and builds on a repeated rift that is joined by a banjo, a gristling guitar effect
5.Wharf-Hand Blues (5:51) Starts with drums and bluesy guitar, lyrics are sparse yet harmony has a catchy vocal call, mid-track tempo ups the pace with faster guitar strumming
6. Maltese T (4:04) Surf rock garage rock guitar vibe with a poppier sounding bridge, this a biting tune that sounds like Smog
7. A Mighty Mighty Fall (4:55) Slower, Western tremolo and lap steel, classic ballroom piano spiffs, deeper male vox, direct reference to his divorce with a catchy harmony to make it feel better
8. Stole Pills (2:27) Fast paced, more southern psychedelic/garage rock, vox has a raspy filter on it
9. The Real Feel (0:17) Quick electronic introduction to next track
10. Blood Money (8:09) Soft vocals build on a repeated rift into elevating harmonies with the accompaniment of female vox, kind of sad and boring occupying space with sound
11. Spiral Stairs (1:03) Male and female speaking, comic plea to get an old woman to introduce him