We've Moved
(2008, Happy Jack Rock Records)
Just
when you thought Psycho and the Birds was a dead side project,
Pollard and Todd Tobias (Circus Devils) are back with their 2nd (and,
to date last), LP. As was the case with the previous 2 PATB's
releases, We've
Moved was constructed from skeletal boom box recordings made on the fly by
Pollard. Todd Tobias then filled in the rest at this studio. The results, are again, rather frustrating. Muddled production, and
clashing ideas. Depending how you look at it, this looks to be
the final Psycho and the Birds release with Pollard and Tobias
continuing to work on the wholly more satisfying Circus Devils
project and proper Pollard solo albums.
Side A:
Who
Lives In a Thundercloud- 2 Sounds
like a throw-away track from one of Pollard’s solo outings, but
with the vocals buried. Mid-tempo, unremarkable song.
Rain
Remains- 2 Soggy,
sad-sack song where Pollard sings like a wobbly ghost under
unmemorable music.
I
Love a Revolution- 3 Folky,
whimsical song billed as the “hit.” It’s about 1:30 and
upbeat, but that’s about it.
Enon
Beach- 2 Drab, depressingly cold, whack ‘em over the head song. Tobias tries to fix
this unmemorable pile of nothing with an annoyingly simplistic guitar
riff and stop-start percussion.
Franklin’s
Famous Graham Cracker Crust- 2 More
weird, fairly sleepy nonsense. Pollard sounds downright drunk
in the background while Tobias scrambles to add weird depressing
minor-chord drivel over the tapes.
Tomorrow
Man- 1 Eerie,
dank, and nightmarish. Pollard plucks some strings. Tobias adds
sound effects and some random noises.
Corona
Grande- 1
Modulated didgeridoo dance music. Shit. What the fuck? Love this title though.
Side B:
She
Fears Out-
1 Tepid,
mid-tempo new wave song with redneck vocals. CRIPES!
Love
Theory- 2 Fist
pumping, silly song with wavering vocal noises. Just bearable enough.
Hound
Has the Advantage- 2 One
of the most normal, repetitive rock songs on the album, but tarnished with out of place horn-like synths and out off-key vocal bellows from Pollard.
Poor
Old Pine- 3 Possibly
my favorite of the LP. Instrumental reminiscent of Yo La
Tengo’s spacier stuff. Wise production choices Mr. Tobias.
I’m
Never Gonna Leave, You’re Never Gonna Win- 2 Mid-90s
alt-rocker, but unfortunately Pollard sings like his foot’s caught
in a bear trap at his favorite saloon, and the song starts sounding
like it gets caught in a nu-metal groove by the end. Nu-metal? Yikes!?!
Hybertech
Green- 3 Holy
hell. A normal, mid-tempo, bright pop song. Can one’s ears
believe it? Best “real” song on the LP. Lo-lights
include baritone Pollard vocals, and cowbell hits on the 1 & 3.
Sharp
Apples- 1 Makes
about as much sense as the title. Rickety, acoustic chugging
underneath bashing drums, and slurred lack of intelligent words. Seriously, I
don’t any actual words are sung in this tune.
We’ve
Moved-
2 You've moved? Oh joy. Leave the neighborhood, promptly. Acoustic, sad bastard song,
with slurred off-key vocals and all that make Psycho and the Birds so
damn….. you know.
listening to side 1 right now. no arguments with your review. not sure why I own all 3 Psycho and the Birds records, and no Circus Devils records. Maybe because there's fewer of them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNeil, time for you to commit to Circus Devils. I say this as I slog through "We've Moved" for no good reason.
ReplyDeleteIf I find something used, maybe. nothing I've listened to on youtube really grabbed me. "girl in space," maybe.
DeleteI love Enon Beach and We've Moved!
ReplyDeleteI think your review was too harsh on this. I relistened to this today and really enjoy its scrappy pop and genuine moodiness. It's a grower big time. It's not trying to be a "big" or grandiose album, it's just a cool, low-ey groover for me.
ReplyDeletestuck at home for the 3rd day in a row, cos of corona virus, decided to pull out an album i rarely listen to. reached for this one, and whaddya know, there's a song on it titled "corona grande." and it's a pretty lousy song. somehow appropriate. "she fears out" is sort of funny, although not a good listen.
ReplyDelete