!!!’s second album adds some much-needed variety to the mix. The songs feel more fleshed out, with tempos and instrumentation that suit each. It also sounds as though the vocals have been tamed somewhat. As a result, this is a much more immediately gratifying album and also one that is more rewarding to repeated listens. There are still some silly moments, like “Pardon My Freedom” which also has one of the best bass-lines on the album. This silliness is tempered somewhat by a general political awareness in the lyrics. This is certainly catchier and more varied than the band’s debut, which makes it both more fun and more mature despite some tracks that don’t seem to go anywhere.
The Tories were a power pop band who released two albums around the turn of the century and Wonderful Life bored me beyond any album I’ve heard in recent memory. There’s nothing especially offensive about their sound. It doesn’t wear on me emotionally like some grunge does, it doesn’t seem immature like some hardcore and punk. It’s just very plain. These songs could be on in any department store at any given time and their inoffensiveness may be their downfall. Nothing sets them apart and if you’re going to play radio-friendly pop/rock, that’s especially problematic. The lyrics are so commonplace that it’s hard to identify with the band. They’re singing about things that everyone experiences (meeting a girl, good memories of a certain place, etc. plus there are some songs that are so vague in meaning that they could be applied to any number of circumstances) but they sing about them in ways that so many bands do. I identify with this music in the same way I identify with other people who like pizza, or other people who play video games, or other people who breathe. Instead of communicating any genuine emotion, they scratch the surface in such a way that I’m having trouble seeing how these songs are relevant to me. But I may be missing the point. Bands like this aren’t about depth or experimentation. It’s about catchy tunes that won’t alienate the masses by being to specific, either in theme or sound. If I’m rating them based on how much I enjoyed this album, it’s probably a 2 out of 10. If I’m rating them based on how well I think they accomplished what I think they were trying to accomplish, it’s probably closer to a 7. I generally err toward the former approach, but I want to be fair to these guys. The 14-year-old me would probably have enjoyed this more, and if one of these songs came on my shuffle, I probably wouldn’t skip it. If two came on back-to-back, I’d probably get bored. I don’t like this, but I don’t think it’s horrible. Just not for me. Radio-friendly rock music has its place on my iTunes, but I’m not liking this band.
A.A. Bondy’s debut album is a lush, atmospheric folk/Americana album and his version of the style nails everything I like about it nearly perfectly. For one thing, he has the voice for the style; it’s breathy and communicates so much emotion. It does this in a “show, don’t tell” way. I know how he feels about the songs based on the tone and inflection of his voice, rather than just the words he sings. These are songs of reflection on memories, good and bad, but all filtered through a lens of contentment. It’s a happy album, but it doesn’t sound that way at first. To put it bluntly, the album is beautiful and just seems extremely relevant to my life. But beyond that, A.A. Bondy is clearly one of the more talented singer/songwriters in folk music today. His melodies are intricate and dense, easy to get lost in, and they suit his vocals well in that they just seem to fit together. Some music captures the spirit of rural America exceptionally well, and A.A. Bondy’s American Hearts is one of those albums. I think his future albums (he’s released two more since) would expand on his strengths, both as a lyricist and as a composer, but this is an excellent contemporary folk album.
!!! would evolve significantly since issuing this debut album ten years ago, but their sound has always been a funky sort of dance-punk and to those who aren’t necessarily fans of this stuff, the distinctions among this band's work won’t stand out. This album features too many tracks that sound a bit too similar, though they often hit on some really nice grooves. Nic Offer’s vocals, which will probably sound downright annoying to some listeners, could make or break the album for some. One track that stands out is the eight-minute “There’s No Fucking Rules, Dude,” if only because it experiments with some different tempos. Fans will love the propulsive rhythms, detractors will find the band's attitude amateurish. Both might be right.
