dilluns, 18 de febrer del 2013

THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL. Kissing


The Great American Novel és un grup de Brooklyn que varen editar aquest bon treball el juny de l'any passat i que tenia a la llista de possibles publicacions però que no acabava de decidir-me. L'altre dia, escoltant "American Weekend", em vaig acabar de decidir. És una peça que podria estar signada perfectament pels The Beat d'en Paul Colins. La resta del treball és un exercici perfecte de pop punk i power pop a parts iguals. Música per alegrar-te el dia com ho fa "All the sad young literary men". El començament, amb "Sleeping along" i "Holly" ens serveixen d'aperitiu, senzilles i addictives, després la resta va entrant en bones i quan has digerit la primera escolta ja tens ganes de tornar-hi anar. Un treball que no hauria desentonat gaire al costat dels grans del beat i del power pop dels 60s i 70s i que ara encara ens semblen intemporals. A gaudir-ne!


Self-aware and pleasingly reverent, The Great American Novel’s Kissing is an inviting collection of radio-friendly pop jams that won’t insult your intelligence. This album seems to have been recorded with the credo “let’s make fun music and let’s have fun doing it.” The result is a thing of effortless delight: rollicking, cooing pop-punk revival with comfortable doses of boozy literacy. An agnostic confidant in a world of increasingly exclusive musical cliques.
The Great American Novel don’t aim to impress with guitar sophistry or slick sarcasm, opting instead to craft joyful little collages of early 2000s radio rock. We’re talking about breathy little songs with plenty of room for movement and enough displays of musical acuity to be taken seriously. Most tracks have a subtle water quality to them, a Real Estate-y lilt which serves as sole reminder that these guys are from Brooklyn and it is 2013.
Kissing attempts a cocktail of influences ranging from doo-wop to post-punk revival, and at times the disparate genres don’t necessarily collude. But the album does have a flow, and the songs do come together into the same angsty space. The wintry tilt-along of ‘All the Sad Young Literary Men‘ and ‘Raymond Carver’s‘ southwestern swagger don’t seem like they would be particularly interested in cohabitation, but the ache exhibited in each is consistent and the songwriting consistently enjoyable.
You’re Probably Good at Kissing‘ is this album’s phenomenal epicenter; a perfect blend of every divergent interest the album indulges. To put it simply: this is a great pop song, and it’s been looping in my head for about a week. The album never quite reaches the heights of ‘Good at Kissing’ a second time, but there is more than enough going on in terms of genre exploration to make the whole thing worthwhile. @HemlockShaw