SOME GENEROUS soul has provided us indie pop fans with ...
The Mink Lungs. I've been waiting for years for them to record Tom's song "Dishes." They finally have, and it's pretty sweet, like the rest of their newest disc, I'll Take It, which is full of pop gems. While I prefer the WFMU version of "X-ray Gun," the album version is a nice rearrangement. The songwriting continues to develop in interesting ways, and the feel of the overall band continues to improve. This doesn't seem to be a departure from the first one, but it is more sure-footed and less constructed-sounding. It's still a bit of a pastiche, but as a record collector it's hard to knock the exuberance they bring to the mix. If you've seen them live in the last few years, you will recognize most of the songs.
We Shall all be Healed. It's strange to be writing about the Mountain Goats. I've been listening to them for a long time, and it feels like the slowest wave to ever hit the beach. While the comparisons to Sentridoh, Refrigerator and Nothing Painted Blue may no longer be fair, I can't help hearing these bands in the music. From the first listen, this album seems instantly familiar and essential. John Darnielle is gaining strength as a performer; continuing his trend away from solo performer, Darnielle has added more full band arrangements than Tallahassee, and the rest of the band finally seems fully integrated into the songs.
Edison's Demos. I've had lots of discussions with friends who say that Guided By Voices really suck now, and ask "When will the beast die?" I can't tell you why they are no longer very exciting. In 1995 and '96 I saw them 28 times, and swore they would never become boring. Clearly, I was wrong. One thing I know: It's the rare performer who can pull out of the kind of artistic slump that Robert Pollard is in. Earthquake Glue (the record these demos were taken from) is an okay record. Unfortunately, at this point, one must see them live just to whiff the excitement their studio recordings used to have.
What does this have to do with Edison's? Well, it's just a collection of songs. I don't get a sense of pulling back the curtain to see something I wouldn't see otherwise. The songs seem more intimate and some, like "Useless Inventions," more exciting than the album version?but it's still just a collection of songs.
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