Angry.
And sad.
Angry and sad.
Not how the latest (but not last, according to a recent post from tweaker's Twitter account) tweaker album sounds, but rather how I feel with regards to the latest tweaker album, Call The Time Eternity.
Angry, because it's been eight years since the dark, beautiful and almost perfect 2 a.m. Wakeup Call was released, which utterly blew away tweaker's strong yet unfocused debut album, The Attraction To All Things Uncertain.
Eight years that saw Chris Vrenna chained to the stinking, sinking poop ship that was Marilyn Manson.
Eight years waiting for this album.
And sad because I really, really, really wanted this to be an amazing piece of art; the continued evolution of tweaker, the next step, sonically, thematically, musically, lyrically...but it is absolutely nothing of the sort.
Ponygrinder
The fact that "Ponygrinder" is a strong opener makes the rapid decline and collapse of the rest of the album even more bitter. Although, it isn't even that strong. It sounds like the background for an awesome Nine Inch Nails remix...from the late 90's. I do really love the "there are no more destinations" sample and there are some really cool sounds in this, but they get reused again and again without anything significant added to the mix so that by the time it's done, I was almost relieved. Not a great feeling to have at the start of an album...
Nothing At All
But, the end of the first track inevitably brings about the beginning of the second track. I'm not going to take the snarky, easy joke about how there was "nothing at all" I liked in this track, because that would be a lie. I love the sound of it and the sounds in it, I love the call back to "Happy Child" from the first album, I love thinking that maybe this woman is the object of obsession that Will Oldham was singing about in that song, but all this is completely undone by Jessicka Addams horrible talksinging. Talksinging, in general, is awful, but her overly affected "little tough girl" voice is so insanely annoying that I was, honest to God, having trouble finishing the song. The only problem with this song is its vocals (and the "isn't it cool how I made these drums sound superloud" effect). If this had been an instrumental, true, the call back would have been less direct and effective, but it would certainly be less obnoxious. And, just to be clear, I'm not saying I don't like the way Jessicka Addams sings, I listen to a lot of bands with annoying lead vocalists; I'm just saying I wish she weren't singing on this.
A Bit Longer Than Usual
Aside from the bridge and a few of the ingredients tossed into this sonic scrapple, this sounds like something you'd assemble with the basic loop pack that comes with Acid. It sounds like a demo song: something soulless and uninteresting used to advertise music editing software. And this crushes me.
Areas Of The Brain
"Brains" starts off great (there I go, getting my hopes up again) but takes a shockingly sad and disappointing turn as soon as the vocals kick in. WHY ARE THE VOCALS ON THIS ALBUM SO SHODDY?! THE FIRST TWO WERE PERFECT FITS!!! Sorry. Anyway. The laughing is not scary. It's not creepy. It's not unnerving. It sounds forced and ridiculous. Once again: TALKSINGING IS NOT GOOD. EVER. NO. Even when you're trying to sound like Maynard James Keenan.
Hoarding Granules
"Hoarding Granules" is really and truly an interesting track. It's made up of what sounds like aural found footage and has a great mood. At times the samples or vocals or whatever you want to cal them feel a bit overwrought, they still kind of work. Great sound on this.
Getting Through Many A Bad Night
This has a good beat, very engaging. It reminds me why Chris Vrenna got his start programming and drumming and remixing for Nine Inch Nails. Though I do not love the samples. This is almost a good track, but it feels like it's missing something...something intangible...is it vocals or more instrumentation or...but, before I can think of what, it ends. Hm. Fine. Never mind.
Grounded
Finally...FINALLY: A track on which the vocals WORK. More than that, they're perfect; they reflect so exactly just how damaged the track feels and how the album should feel but does not. kaRIN sounds a bit like Claudia Sarne from 12 Rounds but less abrasive. Great ending with that glitchy guitar and beat.
This Is Ridiculous
This one, which reminds me of something by Cut Chemist, might be my favorite track on here. Well done, Mr. Vrenna. Bouncy, high energy and then things get weird and it sounds like Aphex Twin covering "Microsized Boy" from Attraction. Then the fun comes back with some great stuff floating in the background. Ends too abruptly, I could have enjoyed it more...
I Don't Care Anymore
Look, I know this is a cover so I don't know if I should blame Phil Collins for making it or Chris Vrenna for remaking it...wait, yes I do. I blame Vrenna as this is his album. I think my biggest problem is Jesse Hall's voice. Same problem with "Movement of Fear", the worst track from their previous album. This was a weird choice that didn't really work for me.
Wasted Time
Great bass on this. Upright and...not...upright. Nice beat. The deep rumbles offer a nice juxtaposition to the bleeps. The typewriter is a nice addition for long time tweaker fans and, I'll be honest, made me smile. Very nice. This makes me wonder if maybe Vrenna should have had more organic instruments on CTTE... Maybe on some of those remixes he keeps talking about...? The talking here is a little better although I'm not sure how I like the album's vaguely ethereal, vaguely sinister title just being thrown out there, sans context. I'd have liked it to have been part of a longer passage. This, too, ends sooner than it should.
Fine
Nice creepy siren here and great bass once again, but then...guess what comes along and ruins it? If you guessed talksinging, well, you get a donut...no, you get my copy of Call The Time Eternity. Aside from the rambling, shouting, blathering voices, this track also feels threadbare. Almost like Vrenna forgot to unmute a track or two before rendering it... Solid drums though*. Oh, and just tossing in the sound from the end of the first album does not a reference make, what it does make is a huge fan who's waited almost a decade and who was really looking forward to an amazing follow up to your last album angry and sad.
Which brings this sad, angry train to its sad, angry halt. I'm so bummed. So, so bummed. The album isn't awful. There is some new and interesting ground being broken here and some truly great, stand out tracks, two or three anyway ("Grounded" and "This Is Ridiculous" are really all that jump to mind)...but nothing comes close to 2 a.m. Wakeup Call. This is an unworthy follow up to that opus; a themeless, unfocused collection of songs which, for the most part, have awful vocalists and seem to be missing key elements. Plus, "Nothing At All" is a direct reference to the first album, which creates a nice sense of continuity and cohesiveness, but, aside from that one track and that lazy "reference" at the end of "Fine", there's nothing else. It just feels...unfinished, I suppose. Unfinished and muddled, and not in an intentional way.
This feels like a step back to the themelessness of the first album, but without the novel and inventive sounds to alliviate that lack of focus.
What else can I say?
Angry and sad.
Note: Today, October 23rd, is the release date of the new tweaker album, and yet, Amazon.com isn't going to ship the album until November 6th-12th. Because of a "database error", according to Metropolis Records. So, that makes things better. Also, Vrenna stated earlier today that the album's theme is "manicness". Ah, of course, "manicness". So that's why it sounds so unfocused. Nice try, Chris.
* Although I really shouldn't have to keep pointing that out...side projects created by drummers SHOULD, at its lowest points, have solid drums, and, at its highest points, blistering, astonishing, facemelting drums.**
** Or no drums. Just to freak people out and get away from the "drummer" branding.
No comments:
Post a Comment