Mike Bennett Reviews: February, 2001

www.dragcity.com

The multi-talented Sean O’Hagan, leader of the High Llamas, is best known for his near-mastery of the teenage symphonies from god stylings of Pet Sounds-era Brian Wilson. While recent efforts from the Llamas have been integrating a lot of synthetic instrumentation, carried over from O’Hagan’s stints with Stereolab, the dominant musical vibe here is more in the vein of lounge music (a style that certainly is sympathetic to both Beach Boys and Stereolab material).

Three of the songs are instrumentals, the most successful being “Switch Pavillion”, with its chirpy melody line reminiscent of recent Saint Etienne efforts, but full of instrumental touches that give it the High Llamas’ stamp. “Pat Mingue” juxtaposes a track very similar to “Pet Sounds” (the song) – languorous and liquid, but strange electronic sounds lurk underneath, at some points jumping to the forefront of the song.

This isn’t the only time O’Hagan and Co. fool around with song structures. “New Broadway” is comprised of a few different musical themes, and instead of blending them; a slight burst of electronic noise instantly juxtaposes the track from one “movement” to the next. “Bobby’s Court” is like Phillip Glass briefly masquerading as The Association – a lovely soft-pop harmony based song devolves within a couple of minutes to a lengthy repetitious electronic coda.

There are two relatively straightforward pop songs that are swell. “The Passing Bell” floats on the strength of the haunting backing vocals and has a folk-pop melody that brings back memories of O’Hagan’s first band, Microdisney. And “Get Into The Galley Shop” is an excellent bouncy soft-pop song, contrasting its wistful melody in the verses with a mirthful “la-la-la” chorus.

I don’t know if this record is breaking any new ground, but it is a pleasant effort that delights sometimes, challenges sometimes, and, it must be admitted, kinda gets lost in a few spots. I would not recommend this as the place to start for any High Llamas neophytes, but there should be enough here to satisfy fans of their unique sound.

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Barcelona
ZeRo-oNe-INFINITY
(March)

www.barcelonadc.com

80's nostalgia is beginning to establish a firmer place in the cultural landscape, as members of the post-Boomer generation now sit in the executive chair, and want to bring back memories of an era when greed was good, Reagan had his finger on the button, and froth rose to the top of the charts. Even the Wall Street Journal has noticed the trend, with a recent article on the rise of 80's oriented radio stations. This stop on the wayback express isn't all good - after all, Nickelodeon is now airing "Facts of Life" reruns (if they remade the show now, Jo would have to be a lesbian trying to seduce Blair, dontcha think). But I'm hoping that it will pave the way for the return of synthpop.

This oftmaligned genre has certainly aged better than hair metal and Don Henley records. Synthpop was a clarion call to the hypertechnological future - and now that we are living in that future, what better time to go back to a sound that is simultaneously dated and decidedly contemporary?

And what better band than Barcelona to stand at the forefront of this renaissance? The quartet apparently has the legacy of Vince (early Depeche Mode, Yaz, Erasure) Clarke, Orchestral Maneouvres In The Dark, Outer Space-era Sparks and The Human League encoded in their microchips. Barcelona's percolating tunes are honed to maximum catchiness, revisiting familiar lyrical themes, with some nods to modern innovations.

The brilliant single "Studio Hair Gel" leads off the proceedings, with a near valley girl vocal from Jennifer Carr, who declares her affection for the 'new wave guy' in school: "It's true/I don't care at all/I don't mind your Studio Hair Gel/I don't mind the Howard Jones poster/on your wall". The music is even better than the lyrics, a lively Yaz-a-riffic rhythm track, interlocking synth rhythm patterns, and when the dynamics shift between the first verse and chorus - the dense music suddenly paring down to just the insistent beat and a squiggly synth-line - before hitting the massive hook, it's like a champion surfer shooting the curl. With this opener, you know you're in the hands of experts.

Primary vocalist Jason Korzen sings the tunes that hearken back to the classic synth themes, such as "Replicant" (whom he has fallen in love with), "Have You Forgotten The Bomb" and "Robot Trouble". His slight but engaging voice gives a twinky charm to these Numanesque topics. 21st Century concerns also come to the fore, with Carr warning an ex-lover that "I Have The Password To Your Shell Account" ("I tried your birthday/I tried your mom's first name/I have the password").

Of course, the drawback of a synth-based sound is becoming monochromatic and sterile, and Barcelona fights back with a nice use of backing vocals and some splashes of guitar. Still, the album does tail off towards the end. But for well over the half of the album, they dazzle with one wiggling charmer after the other. This could be the band to come out of nowhere in 2001, and they are richly deserving.

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Raisins In The Sun
Raisins In The Sun
(Rounder)

www.rounder.com

Listening to this pleasant, relaxed disc, one can easily picture the luminaries who comprise the Raisins hanging out in some cantina, a table strewn with drinks and enchiladas, swapping stories, while staring past the checkered tile floor and the slow moving ceiling fan at the blazing sun beating down on the cacti dotting the landscape. The Raisins In The Sun is an all-star project that works. Unlike Little Village or Gutterball, the tunes are there - not great tunes, but generally good ones. This is closer to Golden Smog, insofar as these things go, though a bit looser.

Chuck Prophet (ex-Green On Red) and Jules Shear 'front' this band, assisted by stellar producers Jim Dickinson, Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie, and a fine rhythm team in bassist Harvey Brooks and Winston Watson. The music is generally pretty rootsy, tilting more towards blues than country, but both get their due.

Fun is the operative word here. Don't let the title "Post Apocalyptic Observations" fool you - it's a nice simulation of a Levon Helm/Tom Petty collaboration. Prophet's greasy baritone is perfect for the swinging boogie of "String Bean". Continuing with the food titles, Shear tips his hat to traditional Chicago blues on "Chicken Fried".

There are two numbers that would not sound out of place on one of Shear's solo platters - "Old Times Again" and "You Can Let Go Now", the latter coming across like a great lost track from Jackson Browne's Runnin' On Empty, in part because of the instrumentation and in part because the chorus has a lilt at the end reminiscent of the Maurice Williams' oldie "Stay" that Browne revived so successfully in the 70's.

Clocking in at a mere 34:01, this is not an essential disc. But it can provide a little Southwestern warmth during a cold winter.

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