Jay Reatard
Watch Me Fall
Rock
4 of 5 stars
It takes a lot of talent to pull off a record entirely in one gear. Whatever stylistic mood you choose to ground yourself in, it’s likely to get repetitive by the end of a full-length record.
That is, unless you pull it off with such complete mastery of that style that no one wants it to stop.
Jay Reatard’s new LP is one such record. Though it draws from all over the map of what one could term “punk,” it is nothing less than a pure slab of defeated slacker anthems, slamming on the gas and never letting up.
It is mainly on the strength of two gifts that Reatard does this successfully.
One, he’s darn good at playing the pissed-off reactionary.
Opener “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me” uses a powerful rocket booster of acoustic and electric guitar to give fractured power to the declaration, “In this bedroom is where I’ll sit/Because I don’t really give a s--t.”
The second thing that makes this endeavor work is Reatard’s ability to draw from and synthesize the work of many styles into one concise punk rock statement.
“I’m Watching You” draws the rebel romance from the bombastic acoustic rock of Neutral Milk Hotel, while “Rotten Mind” is a excellent reminder as to how much of a firebrand R.E.M. once was.
So while all of Reatard’s songs might hit with the same aggression, it packs enough wallop and variance to nail the point home for 40 minutes, making Watch Me Fall one of the better rally calls you’re liable to hear this year.
-Jordan Lawrence
Midtown Dickens
Lanterns
Twee/Folk
3.5 of 5 stars
Like a juicy tomato grown on North Carolina soil, Midtown Dickens has both local flavor and a knack for versatility.
The band’s newest album, Lanterns, finds the hometown troubadours exploring a variety of instruments and genres that culminate in an endearingly flawed record, encapsulating the improvisational lo-fi sensibilities of a band that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Dickens’ relentless charm stems prim from its childlike simplicity. A sense of playfulness permeates Lanterns, with jovial arrangements full of banjos and spoons and the group’s straightforward lyrics. Songs like “Old Dogs” capture a sense of childlike wanderlust, while “Balloons” describes a boy with “a dinosaur pin and a whole lot of friends.”
Part of Dickens’ allure, unlike other bands, lies in its open flaws. Instead of today’s all-too-common Auto-Tune perfection, the group embraces the happy-go-lucky aesthetic that “serious” musicians avoid at all costs. Laughter at the end of tracks and the clicking spoons in “It’s Alright” make it sound like the group was caught during a casual jam session.
Despite a refreshing lack of pretension, the casual sound of Midtown Dickens’ latest record can wear thin after multiple listens. Like many lo-fi albums, Lanterns could use a small dose of polish.
While the band demonstrates abundant creativity on its latest release, the playfulness and lightness of Lanterns are its biggest assets. Midtown Dickens exemplifies the rare kind of group that embraces its humble beginnings. And it’s that native appeal and self-aware songwriting that makes any minor flaws seem nothing short of charming.
-Linnie Greene
Aminal
A Face to Fight/A Will to Fight
Rock
3.5 of 5 stars
The purpose of this review was initially to write only about A Will To Fight, the free-download EP from Chapel Hill’s Aminal that UNC’s Vinyl Records is supporting on its VR Presents Web site.
But in listening to it and its physically packaged counterpart A Face To Fight, it became obvious that the two are too closely related not to be talked about together.
The two EPs together constitute one complete collection, a statement of post-adolescent angst built of roughly hewn, stripped-back indie rock. Leaving behind the barreling barroom rage of its powerful live shows, Aminal lets its insistent melodies and moving thoughts on life in limbo do the work.
“A Will To Fight” is the best example. Dropping such irresistible lines as “Situation normal, I f--cked up” and “You don’t need stand there and be my crush because I’m going to love you way too much,” lead singer Patrick O’Neill wavers between fighting and giving up as he faces the trouble of his life.
It’s this conflict that consumes these two EPs. Using guitar, keys, bass and drums with very few instrumental freak outs, Aminal’s exploration of its existential crisis is by turns delicate and defiant. But no matter which gear the band finds itself in, it never ceases to tug on the nerves in the bottom of your stomach.
And while not every song will stay with you forever, there are moments that crystallize the fear of where life is heading in a way most bands can only aspire to.
It’s a great game to play in a place such as Chapel Hill, one that should win over both townies and college kids alike. Looks like Aminal is just our kind of beast.
-Jordan Lawrence
Whiskey Smugglers
Clear Strong Dreams
Country
3 of 5 stars
The Whiskey Smugglers clearly hail from Carrboro. It would be easy to picture them picking on a front porch off Greensboro Street.
The band’s mix of bluegrass and country breathes new life into a traditional genre, recalling the classic mountain sounds of North Carolina without sacrificing creativity or innovation.
One of the most refreshing aspects of Clear Strong Dreams is its lack of indie influence. Fleet Foxes has carved an enjoyable niche with the Pitchfork set, but in the wake of a plethora of imitators, the Smugglers stand out. It’s the kind of outfit that could actually hold its own with a bunch of bluegrass veterans, evidenced by the pleasant hum of the fiddle that pervades the album.
While it’s evident from the first song that the Smugglers are instrumentally adept, the band still has plenty of room to grow lyrically.
“Well, life, it has a funny little way of keeping you and I apart, but no matter how long it’s been you’ve always been in my heart,” Zach Terry sings on the track “Not Your Average Love Song,” a song that is in fact very average.
Though some tracks pair artful instrumentation with disappointing lyrics, “From Upton” successfully melds the band’s old-school musical sensibilities with clever musings such as, “Well I still don’t give a s--t about anything going on outside of Carrboro,”
When the Whiskey Smugglers pair their classic bluegrass sound with insightful, original stories, the combination strikes a harmonious chord. And while the band might not achieve this balance every time, it’s clear that, with the right ingredients, they can translate a traditional genre into accessible music for a modern world.
-Linnie Greene
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