Review: Thee More Shallows - More Deep Cuts
Label: Turn
Released: 2005
To be a truly great record, an album would have to transcend its genre and appeal to music fans in a nearly universal way. It has to be the kind of album that I'd give to someone and say, "I know you don't like such-and-such-a-genre, but you have to hear this anyway." If there's a case to be made against More Deep Cuts, that's it: It doesn't have universal appeal. If you don't care much for indie rock, don't bother. But if you do, you're gonna be floored (at least after a few listens).
Be forewarned, this is not an easy listen. Thee More Shallows takes loose, lazy indie rock and turns it on its head with elements of chamber music, ambient noise, distorted fuzz and trippy tribal rhythms. Sure there's the laid back beats, the melodic bass parts and the mousey vocals that every indie rock fan craves, but the aberrant elements are so integrated that it's hard to imagine this album if it were more typical in its arrangements. It does take a few listens to get into the album's state of mind so to speak, but once there, it's hard to imagine the album being any different. The attention to detail here is amazing and it soon becomes apparent that the divergence from the norm is no random accident. Like Godspeed You Black Emperor, their contempories and most likely comparison, they push the indie rock envelope considerably further than most.
There are no singles here. Don't try to listen to it piecemeal. This album is a cohesive whole, almost like a soundtrack, except it's the soundtrack of a mood, not a story. There is a constant eerieness. The album runs from restful to frantic and back, but the creepy undercurrent doesn't let up throughout. It even ties up all its loose ends with the last track. It doesn't leave you hanging, but it certainly leaves you unsettled, which I suspect is exactly its intention. It may not transcend its genre, but More Deep Cuts certainly pushes its genre's limits, making it a great indie rock recording even if it's not a truly great album in the most strict definition.
Rating: 7/10
Released: 2005
To be a truly great record, an album would have to transcend its genre and appeal to music fans in a nearly universal way. It has to be the kind of album that I'd give to someone and say, "I know you don't like such-and-such-a-genre, but you have to hear this anyway." If there's a case to be made against More Deep Cuts, that's it: It doesn't have universal appeal. If you don't care much for indie rock, don't bother. But if you do, you're gonna be floored (at least after a few listens).
Be forewarned, this is not an easy listen. Thee More Shallows takes loose, lazy indie rock and turns it on its head with elements of chamber music, ambient noise, distorted fuzz and trippy tribal rhythms. Sure there's the laid back beats, the melodic bass parts and the mousey vocals that every indie rock fan craves, but the aberrant elements are so integrated that it's hard to imagine this album if it were more typical in its arrangements. It does take a few listens to get into the album's state of mind so to speak, but once there, it's hard to imagine the album being any different. The attention to detail here is amazing and it soon becomes apparent that the divergence from the norm is no random accident. Like Godspeed You Black Emperor, their contempories and most likely comparison, they push the indie rock envelope considerably further than most.
There are no singles here. Don't try to listen to it piecemeal. This album is a cohesive whole, almost like a soundtrack, except it's the soundtrack of a mood, not a story. There is a constant eerieness. The album runs from restful to frantic and back, but the creepy undercurrent doesn't let up throughout. It even ties up all its loose ends with the last track. It doesn't leave you hanging, but it certainly leaves you unsettled, which I suspect is exactly its intention. It may not transcend its genre, but More Deep Cuts certainly pushes its genre's limits, making it a great indie rock recording even if it's not a truly great album in the most strict definition.
Rating: 7/10
posted by bob_vinyl at 11:51 PM
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