The Gibbard...

Well I had all kinds of cool ideas about a post that juxtaposed today's competing Rilo Kiley related releases providing one song from Jenny Lewis' album and one from the new Elected but then I saw that Pitchfork had run reviews of both albums. While I am generally an indie rock snobby doofus I refuse to even appear to be following Pitchfork's lead in anything. So I've had to change gears at the last second, fortunately I avoided tearing my musical ACL during the cutback. Don't fret. So here I go with an old Benjamin Gibbard song from a split EP with Andrew Kenny of American Analog Set. Released in 2003 via Morr Music the EP is called Home and is pretty much what you'd expect from these two breathy voiced indie rock stalwarts. By "what you'd expect" I mean melodically lovely songs full of sad sack emotiveness presented in a singer/acoustic guitar format. Folk music? Eh, maybe, if you define folk as anything played on an acoustic guitar. No matter how you fell about Death Cab For Cutie (I'm just now coming around to Plans) Gibbard is a fine songwriter and has a way with the turn of phrase.

I'll also say that Rabbit Fur Coat is passably good. Her voice is lovely and paired with The Watson sisters sweet tones there's about a small country's worth of soaring harmonies. The lyrics, however, are pretty middle of the road. I do like the record but I'm not as blown away as I thought I would be, perhaps that will come with time. As to Sun, Sun, Sun I'm initially more taken with it than Lewis', but I have to say I'm a bit put off by it's length. At 16 songs in nearly an hour it violates my usual demand that a CD has a band's absolute best 10 songs and then gets the fuck off the stage before the noodling starts. Still it's got some great songs and ventures even deeper into the alt-country realm shedding the bits and pieces of electronica that Me First had.

Speaking of my annoyance with CDs that meander far beyond their play by date, I've realized I criticized the new East River Pipe for being too brief. I must point out that 13 songs in barely a half hour means that something's askew. Indeed, I found that many of the songs on What Are You On? reach half way to brilliant before just petering out. I also find this very frustrating. Please avoid teasing me with great ideas and then pulling the rug out just as I start to buy into them.

from the Home EP a lovely Ben Gibbard song:

You Remind Me Of Home