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Rating: Hello, I just signed up to review this album. Is there already a review of this album? I know there is, and I also know it is undoubtedly better than mine, but since it's the last CD I bought before starting school, I want my impression of this masterpiece (sorry for the pun) to be remembered.
Before moving on to the facts, I want to tell you that I was concerned with this "last CD" matter because last year it happened with 'In Your Honor' by the Foo Fighters, and my first day of high school had D.O.A. as its soundtrack... that said, let's start with what should interest you the most: "VIVADIXIESUBMARINETRANSMISSIONPLOT".
I will try to make an objective review without knowing anything about country-folk and all those things written about this group, which I didn't even know existed until 6 hours ago. The album opens with 'Homecoming Queen' which has a beautiful arpeggio, and a whispered voice, dreamy, melancholic to avoid when feeling down. From Homecoming Queen it moves to Weird Sisters, and you get the sensation of waking up from the previous song also because you start to hear the drums that give a bit of vitality to the so far slow record. Then follows the track '850 Pumper Holley' which apparently is not entirely out of place since very short noise-only tracks are more than present in this album... and here comes Rainmaker with slightly distorted but effective chords, immediately giving way to the bass and the voice full of 'teenage boredom'.
The atmosphere on 'Spirit Ditch' returns to the beginning of the album focusing less on the high notes (there are none) and on a less sparse instrumentation (guitar, bass, and drums while on the first track there is a guitar and another instrument with a volume so low I can't understand what it is). The melancholy is abandoned, but if waking up before was easy, now we're awakened like a bucket of water with a distorted guitar and a voice reminiscent of Rainmaker, just a bit more shrill, I'm talking about 'tears on fresh fruit', followed by Saturday, a true melancholy ballad (then this is really the style of the group!!) with a pretty good arpeggio.
Arpeggios are also discussed in Cow, a piece with a very simple harmonica that only serves as an accompaniment... stunning. Let's skip a track absent-mindedly and arrive at Hammering the Cramps where there is a skillful use of reverb that gives a hypnotic air to the piece. A much simpler and instrument-poor song (guitar and clean voice) is Most Beautiful Widow In Town. A similar ballad is Heart Of Darkness only not so austere. Pure noise in the track Ballad Of A Cold Lost Marble with a distorted bass and a guitar that always repeats the same chord with a downward strum. The most catchy song, however, is undoubtedly Someday I Will Treat You Good played with feedback and dissonances which indicate that the artist was far from making a pop piece. We are closing and the calm lost two tracks ago returns on the pieces Sad&Beautiful World and Gasoline Horses.
Why did I give the album 4 and not 5? I give 5 to Electric Ladyland, Velvet Underground & Nico, and to Beautiful Freak, not to small episodes like this one... thank you for your time... until next time
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
06 Tears on Fresh Fruit (02:07)
just when you've found your way to
the boiler room
they come and dig you out
with picks and shovels and
acetelyne torches
I couldn't do nothing but watch as her tears fell on fresh fruit
behind the boney walls of my skull
there was playing a lullaby
la la la la la la la la la la la, la la la la la
we're just trying to be free
of our bodies
our stomachs full of liquor
all our lungs
full of water
I couldn't do nothing but watch as her tears fell on fresh fruit
behind the boney walls of my skull
there was playing a lullaby
la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la, la
10 Hammering the Cramps (02:49)
hey little dog, can you fly?
hey little dog, can you fly?
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hey little car, can you fly?
hey little car, can you fly?
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
captain howdy's here but
we can't see him
we can't see them
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
hammering the cramps
oh yeah
14 Someday I Will Treat You Good (03:40)
Something going on around here
I could not crawl back if I tried
I couldn't wait around
I couldn't wait another second
Something going on around here
I left my baby on the side of the highway
She just couldn't see things my way
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
Everything that's made is made to decay
Well I'm shrinking bones in the sun
Won't you tell me why that
The beautiful ones are always crazy
She's whispering like Morticia now
I left my baby on the side of the road
I left her with a heavy load
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
Something going on around here
I could not crawl back if I tried
I left my baby on the side of highway
She just couldn't see things my way
Someday I will treat you good
Someday I will treat you fine
Someday I will treat you good
You know I should
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