I listened to a few new/upcoming releases this week via NPR and, uh, other sources. Here are three quick takes:
Wire: Red Barked Tree
I'm far from schooled in Wire's ouevre—I have Pink Flag and two compilations covering 1977–79 and 1985–90, but no other full-lengths. That said, I'm not feeling the new record. It seems to shift between sounding retro and dated, but rarely fresh. It's not a bad album, and if you're a true-blue fan you'll probably overlook its flaws. I do like "Bad Worn Thing," though the rest of the record passes me by.
The Decemberists: The King is Dead
It's been a while, probably two or three albums, since I last checked in with the Decemberists. In that time they don't seem to have changed things up too much (though thankfully the pirate songs seem to be excised). The King is Dead is a perfectly pleasant album if never terribly gripping. Peter Buck guests on a track or two, I'm told. Not coincidentally a couple tracks here sound indebted not just to R.E.M. but to very specific R.E.M. songs (the guitar line from "The One I Love" crops up in "Down by the Water," and "Calamity Song" lifts its rhythm from "Me in Honey" and its melody from "Wendell Gee").
Destroyer: Kaputt
My favorite part of this record is when Ashton Kutcher bursts into my home at the conclusion and is all HA HA HA DUDE YOU'VE BEEN PRANKED. Anyone calling this Destoryer's best album—or even a good album by any standard—is on meds (probably the same meds Bejar is on). Longer screed to come, if I can stomach listening to this again.
Highly highly highly recommend Wire - 154.
Posted by: cam | January 09, 2011 at 03:34 PM
wow, the destroyer is that bad eh? havent listened yet...frightened to now.
Posted by: westmont | January 09, 2011 at 08:09 PM
Just realized I totally biffed my Ashton Kutcher reference. Oh well.
Posted by: scott pgwp | January 09, 2011 at 10:22 PM
I've probably said this before, but Chairs Missing and 154 are must listens.
In terms of Red Barked Tree, I am familiar with Wire's ouevre and I came to the same conclusion as you did. It's relatively close to the last EP and LP (both of which I prefer) in the general approach - updating the mid-tempo rock of their late 80s LPs(The Ideal Copy, A Bell Is a Cup...) with more traditional rhythms/mixes. The songwriting on this one isn't great and a few of the songs try to force their instrumental hand by being too aggressive (i.e. like Send / Read & Burn 1/2).
Posted by: Newartillery | January 10, 2011 at 11:32 AM
I really like Kaputt, but I am on several drugs. Of course, when I was on no drugs, I never imagined that I was capable of saying "or even a good album by any standard is on meds" seriously.
Posted by: Scraps | January 10, 2011 at 01:18 PM
I have mentioned that I think Chairs Missing is my favorite rock album of all time, right?
Posted by: Scraps | January 10, 2011 at 01:24 PM
Both those early Wire albums are on my to-buy list... just haven't gotten to them yet.
Scraps - good to see you around these parts again! And thank you for proving my point that meds are necessary.
Posted by: scott pgwp | January 11, 2011 at 06:32 AM