Dishonorable mention 2009: That Grizzy Bear album, et al.
Vecketamist - Grizzly Bear
I can’t call Veckatimest uninspired—that misses the mark—and I can’t say it’s unsophisticated, because that would be plain wrong. It’s sophisticated, all right—sophisticated like a master’s degree in contemporary poetry and about as useful. Inspired, too. It’s got that Paul Simon air of pop ambition mixed with a Green Day sense of self worth. The dudes are talented, each of the four in a way that’s differentiable from the rest. And they’ve labored to put their skills—from Daniel Rossen’s vibrato to Chris Taylor’s production chops—on almost constant display. Without a doubt, they obsessed over every second of this 52-minute snooze-fest. But the obsession is so transparent, every hook and harmony so overwrought (to say nothing of Rossen’s pointedly vague lyrics) that the record lacks any emotional or aesthetic core. In every song they find one thing that seems to work and do it over and over. The level of “craftsmanship,” if that’s what you want to call it, makes me wonder who they think their true audience is, the young devotees of indiedom or the staff at Pitchfork. Put simply, it sounds like they’re just out to impress us, or someone. Put simpler, it’s got no soul. Put simplest, it doesn’t sound like they’re having any fun.
That might not be an issue for rock critics who need a new Radiohead to gush about or hipsters who want to feel smart when their iPod shuffles to a song like “Dory.” By all means, guys, gloat away. After a few serious listens I can’t find anything exciting about Veckatimest. It’s like they took OK Computer, cut “Paranoid Android” and “Electioneering,” loaded up on Adderall and adapted what was left to 2009 tastes. Half the originality, double the boredom. For all the talk of experimentation, the only thing it seems to experiment with is how many boys choirs you can put on a record and still call it “pop.” Beyond that, it’s the opposite of experimental—it’s dense, calculated and compulsively self-aware.
For a bigger picture compare it to Bitte Orca, the Dirty Projectors album released two weeks after Veckatimest. These were the summer’s indie blockbusters, and while we could argue apples and oranges about sub-genre (I’ve seen at least two writers call Bitte Orca “art-pop”), their reception was similar, with accolades from the usual suspects. Oh, and lest we forget, Chris Taylor produced DP’s Rise Above in 2007…
Listening to the albums side by side, it’s clear both bands had the same not-so-humble vision: to push the envelope as frontrunners of indie rock. Both succeeded in doing that much; it’s in their delivery that they differ. Bitte Orca is as playful and goofy as its title suggests—there are hooks and anti-hooks, melodies and warbles, steady grooves and erratic time signature changes, great riffs and straight noise. The end result sounds like hard work with generous room for whimsy and improvisation, whereas Veckatimest just sounds like toil. And it has nothing to do with tone. Bitte Orca isn’t more freewheeling than Veckatimest because the songs are more energetic and upbeat, nor is the tedium of Veckatimest the result of its being slower and more somber. Grizzly Bear’s pleasure for making music simply isn’t there, and it matters. Perfect, in the unfortunate case of Veckatimest, killed enjoyable.
Other dishonorables:
Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective
While I was mostly bored to death with Grizzly Bear, I found Animal Collective abrasive. All the noisy hyperactivity on this record just stresses me out. Hippie prog folk.
The Fame - Lady Gaga
What can I say? I gave it a shot. Worthless.
Crack the Skye - Mastodon
Betrayed by one of my favorite metal bands. Watered down and overproduced.
Iron Front - Strike Anywhere
Coaster - NOFX
Collapser - Banner Pilot
These last three were all the rave for my fellow punkers this year. Wow. Iron Front, is beyond disappointing—the worst I’ve heard from Strike Anywhere, the punk band five years ago I predicted would be The One That Really Mattered. At least NOFX’s latest failure matches the quality curve of their past four albums. As for Banner Pilot, I saw a group of 17-year-olds at the bar down the street playing the same recycled Dillinger Four drivel with twice the energy. And they’ll probably grow out of it.
