CABIN – Golden
I am not saying that record labels should have me in when they discuss their next big moves. But I have some ideas. Take, for example, those MTV Unplugged concerts that made the station and the labels so much money on such a little investment. Why did that work?
My theory is that people were just bored with hearing studio-polished songs on the radio and just wanted to hear their favourite rock stars stumble their way through their biggest hits. It was not greatly different from hearing CABIN’s music/
It’s the equivalent of having coffee with your favourite writer. Hell, who knows? In those moments, you might get them to tell you something truthful and honest that nobody else is ever going to hear.
We ought to force rock stars to have record their songs in a shed somewhere without the help of a producer. It’d do most of them the world of good. Take the sensational ode to great adventures on CABIN’s “Golden.” No famous producer or the record label behind them would ever think of releasing this as a single? Yet, in all of its lo-fi glory, there’s simply nothing else that this songs needs. It’s damn near perfect, and good enough to make you want to weep if you’ve have the good fortune of having some “washed up good ol’ days” to dream about.
LOON – Bitter
Rock bands change, and unless they’re forced to work the big stages of the world, their sound is going to change. It’s natural and should be encouraged. The fans who decry these alterations might just be missing the point and hurting the musicians that they claim to love.
Sure, PR statements released during such times will tend to focus on real-life experiences that have shaped the artists. There are things that happen to each and every one of us, and we can’t help but soak up the effects of them. I’m sure that happened to LOON.
But, usually, it’s records that shape bands. Think about it. The whole job of being in a band involves hugging a guitar or sitting behind a drum kit for hours upon hours. It’s impossible not to get exposed to new kinds of music and, eventually, to bring some of that into the playing. It’s new music that changes bands the most!
LOON sound like they’ve been casually listening to retro-styled country-rock and Big Star. The guitar lines and vocal harmonies that you’ll hear on “Bitter” are a dead giveaway. And while that kind of sunshine can’t be hidden behind any clouds, the group’s indie-rock touch remains the same as they deal with the anxiety of overthinking and indulging fantasies of alternative realities. “Bitter” is a nicely constructed song that even the hard-boiled country musicians of old might smile after hearing.
