The Album Review Club - Week #144 - (page 1893) - XO - Elliot Smith

Here's the thing about blues-rooted-country-tinged-rock: it needs a soft edge somewhere. Otherwise it's just the blues. For me, the edge is softened by either grandiosity (think Led Zep), or -- much better -- humo(u)r. Take George Thorogood. Take Social Distortion. Take the band I WAS going to bring up next but now can't because Rob stole my thunder (they're English by the way). There's something to be said for a band who run so hard, but like Minor Threat in the punk realm, they lose some soul/humanity when they always take their craft seriously. So I can admire their fortitude and professionalism but not enjoy it quite so much.

That all said, musically, these guys have the chops. They use the slide the way Big Country uses the e-bow -- liberally and to really good effect. I bet they're quite good live and I could see myself having a great time at a show. I did really like the tempos -- there are a lot of foot-tappers beginning to end -- and plenty of juicy blast chords. I'd have mixed the drums a bit higher personally, but that's a quibble. I don't mind the vocalist's yawps, but sometimes they lean in the direction of channeling Axl Rose, and then I wonder if its just for effect.

Personally, I most enjoyed the songs that veered a bit away from what they're best at -- that had a bit of quirk. "The Desert" (they needed those "la-la-la-las" that open it to come back in the chorus -- missed opportunity), "Kiss It" (thought it was a Blink-182 cover for a bit!) and "Walter" were the ones that stood out to me. While I know "American Man" (the song) is a critique, I wonder why they named the record after it. The rest of the record doesn't thematically tread the same path. In fact later when I hear the "take the freedom of the 9 to 5" line, I'm not sure if it's a criticism of a working man's shackles, or respect for the average Joe.

So what I'm left with this is the old "sound over songs" issue. I like plenty of bands where the sound is more important than the songs. But I don't think you can get away with that when the blues figure so meaningfully, and for 3-pieces without a bassist I'll take Sleater-Kinney all day long and twice on Sundays. A solid 6 for the sound but not so much for the songs.
 
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FogBlueInSanFran said:
Here's the thing about blues-rooted-country-tinged-rock: it needs a soft edge somewhere. Otherwise it's just the blues. For me, the edge is softened by either grandiosity (think Led Zep), or -- much better -- humo(u)r. Take George Thorogood. Take Social Distortion. Take the band I WAS going to bring up next but now can't because Rob stole my thunder (they're English by the way). There's something to be said for a band who run so hard, but like Minor Threat in the punk realm, they lose some soul/humanity when they always take their craft seriously. So I can admire their fortitude and professionalism but not enjoy it quite so much.

That all said, musically, these guys have the chops. They use the slide the way Big Country uses the e-bow -- liberally and to really good effect. I bet they're quite good live and I could see myself having a great time at a show. I did really like the tempos -- there are a lot of foot-tappers beginning to end -- and plenty of juicy blast chords. I'd have mixed the drums a bit higher personally, but that's a quibble. I don't mind the vocalist's yawps, but sometimes they lean in the direction of channeling Axl Rose, and then I wonder if its just for effect.

Personally, I most enjoyed the songs that veered a bit away from what they're best at -- that had a bit of quirk. "The Desert" (they needed those "la-la-la-las" that open it to come back in the chorus -- missed opportunity), "Kiss It" (thought it was a Blink-182 cover for a bit!) and "Walter" were the ones that stood out to me. While I know "American Man" (the song) is a critique, I wonder why they named the record after it. The rest of the record doesn't thematically tread the same path. In fact later when I hear the "take the freedom of the 9 to 5" line, I'm not sure if it's a criticism of a working man's shackles, or respect for the average Joe.

So what I'm left with this is the old "sound over songs" issue. I like plenty of bands where the sound is more important than the songs. But I don't think you can get away with that when the blues figure so meaningfully, and for 3-pieces without a bassist I'll take Sleater-Kinney all day long and twice on Sundays. A solid 6 for the sound but not so much for the songs.
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I would generally agree that it's the sound that keeps me coming back for more on this album.

I do like a lot of the lyrics, but it's more often the images they conjure than whether Nate Cook is singing about anything meaningful (if that makes sense). e.g. the "When you're strung out in Wichita" I quoted from "9 to 5" (my favourite track at the moment).
 
journolud said:
I’ve struggled to get through a whole listen of this so far. Can’t put my finger on it because it’s the sort of thing I ought to like but it isn’t doing it for me
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Was having exactly the same problem so stopped trying to listen to it as a whole album and just played and enjoyed one or two songs at a time mixed in with other stuff. Doing it that way I've enjoyed the vast majority of it.
 
threespires said:
Was having exactly the same problem so stopped trying to listen to it as a whole album and just played and enjoyed one or two songs at a time mixed in with other stuff. Doing it that way I've enjoyed the vast majority of it.
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I trademarked that approach I'll have you know!

Been struggling for time, so not given this wven one full listen yet, hence been trying not to read the reviews that might influence me in any way. Will get there before the deadline though.
 
Finally gave this another uninterrupted listen while I was at the gym, despite the best efforts of my phone/ headphones who decided at one point to stop communicating over Bluetooth, I do like my technology to be intuitive. And also despite my desire to play my recently created gym playlist. The gym is boring enough without having your own tunes to motivate.

This preamble might lead anyone to think that I'm going to be damning of this album. Either that or through a more intimate listening experience I was starting to get it. But it's neither really. There were odd little moments where almost I thought to myself that it sounded OK. But never enough and not long enough.

People have mentioned the Levellers and on my first listen or two I had thought of the Pogues but this comparison did recede. I had a sense of too many styles and none of them stuck. Don't know what else to say really, there are albums I've really disliked and musical styles I have no time for. This wasn't like that but it did nothing for me and I don't think repeated plays are going to change that. Not that it'll get any. Sorry but unusually it's a 5 from me.
 
I'm one listen in and I get nothing of Levellers or Pogues or any UK based band. I get Bon Jovi with a bit of the old grit, and some country.

That is not a negative, just the best way i can currently think of what my first reaction is.

I like it a lot more than I maybe expected. Plenty of energy there, like the voice, like the instruments and the intensity in some of it. And I'm not being facetious when I say grit. Some of the slower songs, a bit too much drawl for me, but will try keep an open mind.
 
Coatigan said:
I'm one listen in and I get nothing of Levellers or Pogues or any UK based band. I get Bon Jovi with a bit of the old grit, and some country.

That is not a negative, just the best way i can currently think of what my first reaction is.

I like it a lot more than I maybe expected. Plenty of energy there, like the voice, like the instruments and the intensity in some of it. And I'm not being facetious when I say grit. Some of the slower songs, a bit too much drawl for me, but will try keep an open mind.
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Haha! The old grit. Yes, there’s more than a little grit in this - as you say, the intensity, in the guitars and in the anguished words.
 
Nothing bad and nothing really sticks out as well.
Had trouble with my earphones not helping so will check out more in the coming days.
6/10.
 
As I've previously said I struggled to listen to this as a whole album. As a collection of songs dropped randomly into a playlist of Americana and bluesy roots music I enjoyed the vast majority of them when they appeared. I suspect the reason I didn't enjoy them as much back to back was partly not wanting to listen to the vocal delivery for prolonged periods but also next to each other it began to have a 'busy' feel to it whereas separated out the individual songs were easier to appreciate.

At times it’s easy to make something like a lazy Jack White comparison but that’s just one of myriad of different reference points or influences at play and maybe too many at times. That said it's overall rootsy, slightly punky vibe worked well for me. There's nothing on there that I would skip if it it came up on autoplay and personnally didn't have a problem with more country infused tracks like Burdens/Beale Street. Lyrically it felt like there was supposed to be a theme but it comes out more stream of consciousness for me which again might be why I liked them more individually.

If I was being picky on the production side I think I’d have like a slightly muddier production for some of the songs such as Tied, despite this as one of my favourites, but that is purely personal preference rather than a criticism of the production itself.

Often, I’m not a fan of bands who sideline the bass but their sound is successful as they commit to it. They definitely give the impression that are doing what they want they want to do, not something that someone else thinks they should be doing. It feels like they have set out to make a bit of a racket in the best sense of the word and in that I think they have succeeded.

As I finish my last listen and am deciding what to score, autoplay has flicked up Wilco and BB so it's put me in a good mood. 7/10 and will be having a listen to some of their other albums too.
 
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