Vic Chesnutt: At the Cut
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Much like ’07’s North Star Deserter, Vic Chesnutt’s At the Cut finds Athens’ grim folkie still soaring beyond the devices of a traditional singer/songwriter. Many of the players who made North Star Deserter so bold and beautiful, including members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and former Fugazi vocalist/guitarist Guy Picciotto, have returned. But whereas North Star crystallized Chesnutt’s stark visions into swirls of strings, rhythms and dissonance, here the expansive sound feels natural. “Coward” opens with epic drama, and Picciotto’s guitar adds terse immediacy to “Phillip Guston,” while “Granny” wilts with somber remembrance. Riding these peaks and valleys is emotionally exhausting, but if you’re a fan you already know the kind of pain you’re in for. At the Cut doesn’t hold North Star’s surprises, but it’s a stunning companion album. (Constellation Records) 4 stars out of 5
“Flirted With You All My Life”
(Photo Courtesy Constellation Records)
Tealights’ six-song debut is a sweeping marriage of laptop textures and bold strings sculpting dramatic moods that are very pretty but brittle. Take Us By Sea is the backbone of a musical vernacular driven by dark romanticism set adrift in modern classical and experimental arrangements. Like Claude Debussy on a date with Björk, surrealism and impressionism mingle in the dramatic male/female wailing in “Wait.” The lingering string melodies heard over front lady Nancy Shim’s cool voice provide the weeping heart of the CD. The grand finale “No Sound to Hear” layers a procession of live and electronic instruments alongside a reluctant new age croon in a short, delicate burst of chaos. With so much swelling emotion, these songs err on being too precious for rock ‘n’ roll ears. But the accomplished musicianship and elegant bent of Take Us By Sea will melt the hardest of hearts. (self-released) 4 stars out of 5
Bradford Cox has declared that Logos is an “extroverted” album that isn’t about him, but I couldn’t disagree more. The second solo full-length from Deerhunter’s leader is the inward journey of a world-weary voice dealing with the natural order of the universe — all awash in soft-focus, pop tones. Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) of Animal Collective lends his voice and sampling blueprints to “Walkabout,” and Stereolab’s angelic voice Laetitia Sadier drives “Quick Canal.” These couplings feel like vacations from the Id, Ego, Superego clash commencing beneath the happy exteriors of “Sheila” and “Logos.” Each is bound by fairytale bliss and distress under gorgeous façades. With repeated listens, Logos reveals greater staying power than its predecessor, and though it’s not the catchiest or the most unpredictable album Cox has made, it’s the strongest one so far under the Atlas Sound moniker. (Kranky) 4 stars out of 5
Goodnight Unknown, Lou Barlow’s second solo album, is less of the grand personal statement that was Emoh and more like a lost Sebadoh album. Here, the posturing of a songwriter with a capital S gives way to a patchwork of comfortable pop tunes. “Sharing” jumps to life with a punk beat, but as the title track unfolds, the mood becomes serene. “Too Much Freedom” embraces folk(ish) form, driving the album’s austere moments. “One Machine, One Long Flight” revisits the spirit of slacker insurrection like a fond memory, while “The Right” carries the fey confusion of the Sebadoh classic “Rebound.” The album’s strengths lie in its tamed, not-so-lo-fi sound qualities over Barlow’s ability to deliver such a lingering phrase as “modesty will prevail/but modesty won’t provide,” without being a total downer. Adulthood has mellowed the emotional hooligan, but Barlow is aging gracefully. (Merge) 4 stars out of 5
There’s a summery quietude to Real Estate’s “Fake Blues” b/w “Pool Swimmers” single that could be described as haunting if both songs weren’t imbued with such warmth and nostalgia. The reverb-drenched pop number “Fake Blues” builds on the simple interplay of rolling drums, lazy guitars and a voice that embodies a sweet croon and innocence. “Pool Swimmers” follows suit with just as much slow jangle and charm. Like primitive descendants of the Sundays, Cocteau Twins or Mazzy Star, the genius of Real Estate’s songs lies not in any quantifiable skill or adept playing, but in how their soft-focus arrangements coalesce into mildly noisy, totally captivating clouds of melody and atmosphere. (Woodsist) 4 stars out of 5
It’s obvious that a collaboration featuring Black Lips, King Khan and BBQ would yield muddy forays into ’60s garage rock rhythms and gospel soul. When Black Lips were chased out of India for indecency, they holed up in Khan’s Berlin-based Moon Studios, and these 11 songs document the decadence of their eight days together. The field hollers of “All My Loving” and haunted moans of “Ghost with the Most” flow with urgency and echo. “30 Second Air Blast” is catchy but a little too juvenile, and BBQ’s Bill Haley wail in “Cone of Light” is the album’s shining star. “Bow Down and Die” rattles with beautifully busted fidelity, and “I’m Comin’ Home” resurrects the Mighty Hannibal’s war-torn Vietnam anthem, drenched in reverb. The album feels hastily assembled, like an excuse to jam, but isn’t the ongoing love affair with Black Lips built upon the band’s sense of spontaneity and abandon? Churning out fiery songs by the seat of their pants is what these guys do best. (Vice) 4 stars out of 5