JAILL - THAT'S HOW WE BURN
July 26, 2010,
Written by James Canham
Label: Sub Pop
Release date: 27/07/10
Link: Myspace
Buy/MP3: Amazon
Garage rock has enjoyed a massive revival lately, from lo-fi movements recorded in the garage such as Wavves and Best Coast to the noise pop girl groups of Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls etc to some of the more themed music such as Crystal Stilts and Male Bonding. It’s because of this revival that we are more able to understand
It starts to wear thin once you get halfway through and start to realise that it goes through the same formula in each song – 60s style chords sped up, whiney American vocals, guitar solo, drummer mucking about, hitting everything as hard as he can. There is nothing wrong with this per se – many bands have successfully used these cornerstones of rock – but because each track is within 10bpm, all of them having the pretty little bass line, the same guitar sound, the same whiney voice, it all runs into itself.
Technically, the guitar playing is good, the bass playing is good, the drumming is good. It’s got all the hallmarks of a great garage rock band, and the riffs aren’t half bad sometimes – the twanging riff in ‘Demon’ is fantastic for example. I think the problem here is that they are too hooked up on recreating the 60s sound with a modern perspective, as is the custom of modern garage bands. This rarely works for them though, because as far as I can hear, they know half a dozen 60s songs and mash them up together and create an image of the 60s that is in fact nothing like the 60s and then take the same sound and apply it to every song. An exception is ‘Baby I’ which is a fantastic song and captures the 60’s sound as well as any of the current bands, and is easily the best song on the album. The album sounds like it’s trying to take Lovvers and force them through better production values and make them make straight up pop songs. It doesn’t work.
This album has nothing wrong with it, it’s well produced and made, it’s well played and full of stuff that will make a lot of people happy, and undoubtedly a lot of people will like it (I’m guessing this will go through Pitchfork well), but to me it sounds like an attempt to make the same song after it’s been passed on through Chinese whispers 11 times.
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8 responses so far...
Oliver
I actually quite like this record. At times it reminds me of the shins, but more jangly
James
a lot of people will like it I think, I just think it's not furthered anything, just my personal opinion.
Tim
I agree with Oliver and enjoyed it too. The Pavement influence seems to echo throughout and it is impossible to listen to it without thinking of tracks like 'Range Life' though.
Oliver
I don't think the band liked the review very much. Oh well.
James
Yeah, just read that. Excuse a man some hyperbole, would you? I stand by my review, it didn't do it for me. They can be annoyed if they like but they'll get pleanty of praise. It's well made and everything, I just didn't like it. And it will be liked by Pitchfork, is that an offensive thing to say?
Oliver
At the end of the day, a 6.5 is pretty decent. You can't please everyone!
danny
I'll say what I always say on matters like this. 5/10 average/ 6.5/10 is a whole 1.5 better than average. Plus, it's the words not the numbers that count.
+
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14486-thats-how-we-burn/
6.5 on Pitchfork. Does that change your point of view on the album? Perhaps now we'll appreciate it
regardless.
Will - 09/09/10
Now that's reflection! /\ [view article]
Kevin - 08/09/10
OH MY GOD HE HAS A VAGINA ON HIS FACE [view article]
Matthew - 08/09/10
You missed the point methinks... Seriously, I thought comments were to provide reflection, opinion, and clarification on the article or topic in question. Instead I get a throwaway! [view article]
Rob - 08/09/10
Because Oliver gets sad when no one comments, and I felt like expressing my opinion re: stokeage for this book. [view article]
Matthew - 08/09/10
Then why bother to comment?? [view article]