Slanted and Enchanted.
Pavement’s debut album is a sonic spectrum from all-out noise rock to traditional indie with each track uniquely placed somewhere along; elements of punk also sprinkled on-top for good measure. As I mentioned on the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain review, an additional dimension of reality and humanity can be found in the imperfections of an unpolished record, and there is certainly an abundance on Slanted and Enchanted: lo-fi recording, out of tune guitars and Stephen Malkmus’ perfectly imperfect vocals. His obscure, poetic lyrics meanwhile, not quite as uninterpretable as Aesop Rock’s but pretty damn close, give the listener a reason, if one was needed, to listen to the album again (and again); appreciation for the music is immediate, that for Malkmus’ sentiment through his words will come later. A high energy, indie-noise classic that launched a thousand imitators.
Honey’s Dead.
The Jesus and Mary Chain’s first album of the 1990’s marks a significant departure from their earlier work, hinted at by the title’s not-so-subtle reference to the opening track of their debut Psychocandy, “Just Like Honey”. Inspired by the Madchester scene of the late 80’s and bands such as the Happy Mondays, the Stone Roses and Primal Scream, TJAMC produce a form of danceable alt rock by combining their early noise rock sound with an acid house rhythm and beat. Most of the tracks contain so many layers and feature so much guitar distortion that it is rendered almost inaudible, yet the dominant drum and bass is able to create dance music from what is essentially noise. The Reid brothers lyrics on Honey’s Dead verge while heartedly on the dark side, the line “I wanna die just like Jesus Christ / I wanna die just like JFK” attracting such controversy that the track “Reverence” was banned from Top of the Pops. The recurring theme throughout the album is that of romantic relationships, both sexual and emotional, and the effect said relationships have: a toxic one leads to the consideration of suicide on “Far Gone and Out”, while a newly forming one breeds optimism on “Good for My Soul”. A superb record on par with the other alt rock/dance masterpieces, I’m talking Screamadelica and Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches good.
Dynamo.
With this being my first experience with Argentinian rock band Soda Stereo, I can’t say much as to their musical style before Dynamo, but the feel of this record is one of experimentation and eclecticism; they take influences from popular sub-genres and create unique tracks to form something reminiscent of a compilation album. The heavily distorted, ethereal, wall-of-noise guitar that features throughout is synonymous with shoegaze, while the impact of the Madchester, acid house scene can be heard on “Camaléon”, “Nuestra Fe” and “Claroscuro” with the dominant drum and bass beat providing a certain danceable quality, not unlike Honey’s Dead. Soda Stereo incorporate simple, memorable choruses presenting the potential for Dynamo to be accessible outside of Latin America and to non-Spanish speakers, such as myself. A wide-ranging record that satisfies with near enough every track.
Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde.
Despite De La Soul’s insinuation the previous year, the DaISY Age is still alive and well in 1992; while other West Coast rappers were swimming in album sales by delivering harsh realities of life in the ghetto, The Pharcyde produce a refreshing record of upbeat funky jazz hip-hop beats and self-deprecating comedic lyrics covering masturbation, mum disses and encounters with transsexuals. Despite the light-hearted nature of the lyrics, the quartet of MCs are supremely talented and, like all comedy, there is a certain poignancy and truth to their raps, whether that is the subject of racial profiling on “Officer” or the failed, one-sided romances of “Passin’ Me By” and “Otha Fish”. It would be amiss not to mention J-Swift’s production on Bizzare Ride, which is nothing short of spectacular, weaving layers of live instrumentals together with samples from a host of different genres, even affording an homage to the pioneers of 80’s hip-hop on the closing track “Return Of The B-Boy”: a joyful contrast to the bleak tones of the burgeoning gangster rap scene. A different, though no-less incredible, classic 90’s hip-hop album.
Bone Machine.
Following a five year hiatus, Tom Waits returns with a rough and raw, percussion-heavy record replete with his signature guttural growls and gravelly tones that project his horrifyingly dark imagery of suicide, murder, execution and the apocalypse. Nihilistically contemplating life, Waits explores death from different viewpoints: “The Earth Died Screaming”, a love song set at the end of the world; judgment of the soul and the futility of possession on “All Stripped Down”; and an ageing man who always wanted to leave home but lacked courage, with death now being the only manner of escape on “Whistle Down the Wind”. Waits poetically contemplates difficult, even frightening, concepts, before closing the album with a more optimistic tone on the Keith Richards collaboration, “That Feel”. The accompanying instrumentation is typically bare, as the title of the album would suggest, with Waits himself providing much of the extensive drums and percussion, as well as handling the production of the record. An experimental, at times bluesy, at others jazzy, record that reflects on death and, occasionally, on life.
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