The Album Review Club - Week #128 - (page 1587) - Pretty Vicious - The Struts

[threespires]

Ha ha I don't think I can go there. You've gotta give them credit for invention though.

Booooo, booooo.

(and yes you do, if only I'd kept that shopping trolly we nicked as drunk kids I could be famous by now)

 

[Coatigan]

It's nice to have a mix of stuff in terms of famous and popular vs. obscure, old and new,

You Could argue this album is all of the above. It is old, from the 90s, yet it is also new, from '21. It is popular, or well at least the band is, but it is obscure because it isn't one of their big albums. Don't say I'm not good to you all!

 

[threespires]

I definitely am considering nominating a record I hate at some point just so I can smash it. Hope there aren't too many Eagles fans on here . . . . :)

Do that and I will make some of the beatings that Denis, Bimbo and Benny have dished out look like fanboy posts :-)

 

[threespires]

Back to this album and moving away from Coat's food analogy and inspired by mention of Einsturzende Neubaten, I'm now onto a power tool analogy.

You don't need 8 types of power sander in your toolbox, a belt sander and possibly a mouse sander will do for most people unless your are a carpenter. This is a bit how I feel, in a positive way, about Jimmy Eat World and this album exemplifies that feeling. I'm not too fussed about the sub-genre they seemingly fall into, there's some that make me go meh (dashboard confessional) or actively get annoyed (those tits that showed with Boys of Summer that you can actually take a song with no redeeming merits whatsoever and actually make it even worse). But it's good to have someone in that space you get on with for the times when it might come in handy. For me this is where Jimmy EW comes in, I like them more than the (admittedly limited number of) other bands of a supposedly similar ilk I've heard and whilst I might not need loads of this type of music they can serve a purpose nicely.

This pick has fairly intelligent lyrics that are introspective without being whiny. Jim Adkins, whatever his vocal limitations might be, doesn't make you want to slap him for being self-absorbed though I would admit the duration is at threshold of how much I'd want to listen in one sitting. That said, as Coat pointed out there some nice use of harmonies that elevate the vocals at various points. I like the contrast between the opener and the immediate pace change with the second track which has a nice poppy vibe and from then on it's sprinkled with some decent songs and no really crap ones. The bass is placed nicely in the mix and there's a bit of light and shade in terms of the richness of the sound they make. They risk a sense of repetitiveness at times but just about manage to skirt round it; when they seemed to be running out of steam a bit the title track comes to the rescue. It's confirmed the feeling I had based on other tracks I was familiar with, that of it's type these are are good fit for me personally. For all I know, there may be better emoish belt sanders* out there, but I'm not an emo-carpenter so I'm quite happy with this lot fulfilling the purpose in my toolbox.

(*Based on stuff people have nominated in the playlist Brand New might be useful as a second mini-sander.)

 

[threespires]

So, having done my listens and decided within 0.5 of a mark what score it's getting, I've watched the video. Initially two things strike me:

1. That white tele thinline that JA is playing is a very pretty looking guitar.

2. There's a couple of tracks I thought were dangerously close to coming off a bit twee when listening to the album and I did think that seeing 50 something (or thereabouts) blokes perform them might tip them over the edge but actually it has the opposite effect. The earnestness (without being po faced) with which these now middle aged men play them actually makes them work better. In fact, broadly speaking there's a low key likeability about the performance that I think works really well for the songs and it would have been very in keeping with the times in which they recorded the performance.

 

[GornikDaze]

So, having done my listens and decided within 0.5 of a mark what score it's getting, I've watched the video. Initially two things strike me:

1. That white tele thinline that JA is playing is a very pretty looking guitar.

2. There's a couple of tracks I thought were dangerously close to coming off a bit twee when listening to the album and I did think that seeing 50 something (or thereabouts) blokes perform them might tip them over the edge but actually it has the opposite effect. The earnestness (without being po faced) with which these now middle aged men play them actually makes them work better. In fact, broadly speaking there's a low key likeability about the performance that I think works really well for the songs and it would have been very in keeping with the times in which they recorded the performance.

I need a nice f hole….

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I like to imagine that, a few weeks after, you all saw the light with Mike Skinner and now go round singing about money stuffed down back of tvs. If not, just feel free to leave me with my delusion.

Some of us saw the light the first time around, and I still give that selection a listen more than others, so "MIssion Accomplished". You can pretend you didn't hear that if that helps.

I agree in principle re. less well known stuff but I'm thinking of nominating something that maybe a third or so of people on here will own, on the basis that it'll still make for interesting discussion both about the album and it's impact/aging for those who are very familiar with it and for the people who aren't what they feel about it's distinctive sound and style. The scoring might happen pretty quickly but I'd hope the dialogue and tangents fill the week.

After Coatigan's selection, I only fear you for an overlap. Don't let me down. Holding off on write-ups until then.

 

[Coatigan]

Back to this album and moving away from Coat's food analogy and inspired by mention of Einsturzende Neubaten, I'm now onto a power tool analogy.

You don't need 8 types of power sander in your toolbox, a belt sander and possibly a mouse sander will do for most people unless your are a carpenter. This is a bit how I feel, in a positive way, about Jimmy Eat World and this album exemplifies that feeling. I'm not too fussed about the sub-genre they seemingly fall into, there's some that make me go meh (dashboard confessional) or actively get annoyed (those tits that showed with Boys of Summer that you can actually take a song with no redeeming merits whatsoever and actually make it even worse). But it's good to have someone in that space you get on with for the times when it might come in handy. For me this is where Jimmy EW comes in, I like them more than the (admittedly limited number of) other bands of a supposedly similar ilk I've heard and whilst I might not need loads of this type of music they can serve a purpose nicely.

This pick has fairly intelligent lyrics that are introspective without being whiny. Jim Adkins, whatever his vocal limitations might be, doesn't make you want to slap him for being self-absorbed though I would admit the duration is at threshold of how much I'd want to listen in one sitting. That said, as Coat pointed out there some nice use of harmonies that elevate the vocals at various points. I like the contrast between the opener and the immediate pace change with the second track which has a nice poppy vibe and from then on it's sprinkled with some decent songs and no really crap ones. The bass is placed nicely in the mix and there's a bit of light and shade in terms of the richness of the sound they make. They risk a sense of repetitiveness at times but just about manage to skirt round it; when they seemed to be running out of steam a bit the title track comes to the rescue. It's confirmed the feeling I had based on other tracks I was familiar with, that of it's type these are are good fit for me personally. For all I know, there may be better emoish belt sanders* out there, but I'm not an emo-carpenter so I'm quite happy with this lot fulfilling the purpose in my toolbox.

(*Based on stuff people have nominated in the playlist Brand New might be useful as a second mini-sander.)

Joseph raises some interesting observations over both posts! There are indeed some clever lyrics there, and I like how they are sometimes left loosely 'awkward'.

I was once coming back from a City game with a friend in his car, it was a sunday. We had this album in the cd player, but he kept trying to put on some shitey phone-in radio thing where livid fans phone in straight after the game before they've had time to calm down, to demand mancini is sacked because he lets kolarov take free kicks. I kept switching to the album, to avoid that pish, and serenading him with song. Since then 'on a sunday I'll think it through, on the drive back I'll think it through. What you wish for won't come true, live with that, with that' became a bit of our private anthem to a certain type of game. Sky harbour is a great song to finish off on too.

Interesting what you say about seeing them at that agperforming it, and I guess it highlights how I feel about it. There are loads of albums (and indeed books and films) that young me liked, and this me still likes although with full awareness that it is mostly a throwback because I liked them then. But with this one, I don't fully feel that. I don't need that background explanation that it worked then, I feel it has aged ok and still can hold its own and is still somewhat relevant. The fact they can rerelease it and it doesn't feel like when other bands do it where I find myself thinking, you guys are too old for this - play your age, is telling.

I'll avoid the sub-genre/lable discussion just now, it doesn't really add anything, but I see what you are saying with that, broadly agree. Highly intriguing that you brought BN into it. Given I swapped my last playlist nomination out on the other thread, to avoid it being too similar this week (and to not bore bimbo), but I feel that is a discussion for another time/post. One we should by all means have.

 

[threespires]

After Coatigan's selection, I only fear you for an overlap. Don't let me down. Holding off on write-ups until then.

Don't fear the overlap, egged on by Roberts Belgium jazz comment and Coat's Dutch jazz near miss I will invariably at the last minute change my mind and pick something odd that I think brilliantly illustrates the impact of coltrane changes, then bore you all rigid with tales of my childhood failure to transition from clarinet to sax* and end up with the first album getting a 3.x average.

* you can part the clothes on the rail in a wardrobe to accommodate the bell of a clarinet much easier than that of a sax. This is important when you are trying to master techniques that no one else in your house wants to tolerate. On such details are dreams dashed on the rocks of cruel fate (and absolute lack of talent).

 

[threespires]

Joseph raises some interesting observations over both posts! There are indeed some clever lyrics there, and I like how they are sometimes left loosely 'awkward'.

I was once coming back from a City game with a friend in his car, it was a sunday. We had this album in the cd player, but he kept trying to put on some shitey phone-in radio thing where livid fans phone in straight after the game before they've had time to calm down, to demand mancini is sacked because he lets kolarov take free kicks. I kept switching to the album, to avoid that pish, and serenading him with song. Since then 'on a sunday I'll think it through, on the drive back I'll think it through. What you wish for won't come true, live with that, with that' became a bit of our private anthem to a certain type of game. Sky harbour is a great song to finish off on too.

Interesting what you say about seeing them at that agperforming it, and I guess it highlights how I feel about it. There are loads of albums (and indeed books and films) that young me liked, and this me still likes although with full awareness that it is mostly a throwback because I liked them then. But with this one, I don't fully feel that. I don't need that background explanation that it worked then, I feel it has aged ok and still can hold its own and is still somewhat relevant. The fact they can rerelease it and it doesn't feel like when other bands do it where I find myself thinking, you guys are too old for this - play your age, is telling.

I'll avoid the sub-genre/lable discussion just now, it doesn't really add anything, but I see what you are saying with that, broadly agree. Highly intriguing that you brought BN into it. Given I swapped my last playlist nomination out on the other thread, to avoid it being too similar this week (and to not bore bimbo), but I feel that is a discussion for another time/post. One we should by all means have.

I am too thick to work out which Joseph I'm being compared to but most of them are wrong un's Barton, Stalin, Goebbels etc so I can't see it's a good thing!

To your main point I think when older folks play their original material it is often either hugely enjoyable in a "rage rage against the dying of the light" kind of way or basically a bit dispiriting . It's a minority of the time where one of those two things don't come into it at all and the age of either music and performer are irrelevant, especially in rock or pop. I don't know the dynamics of the original performances of these songs but in this case i don't get a sense of either of those two extremes - just a relatable band in terms of age (to me) playing their songs.