Like A Birth In Reverse, What I Saw Through The Blinds

Had an interesting experience when I found an album at the South Side CD Exchange. It was a 5-song EP in a plain white sleeve, credited to Robert Hazard & the Heroes. Didn't think much of it, but was interested to hear how it played.

A couple weeks ago, I finally gave it a spin, but not before I made two very interesting discoveries. Firstly, it turns out that 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' by Cyndi Lauper was a rewrite, and Robert Hazard was the original artist (hi Drew).

Secondly, when I looked in the sleeve I found these:

Ticket stubs to see Hazard at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh. Less than $20 for two people to go to a concert? What was this, 1983? (Yes, actually.) Makes me wonder about the ~$40 I spent on the last Black Keys show. 

And a poster of Hazard, with the whole band and the lyrics on the back. This is actually a pretty unique find. While there may be other posters that accompanied this disc out there, I doubt that many come with ticket stubs. Of course, I wonder what seeing Hazard live would have been like. So how did it play?

What I Liked:

Hazard's other claims to fame make up the first side of this mini-album; 'Escalator Of Life', a serious-sounding satire on materialism in the New Wave era, and 'Change Reaction' a much more poppy track. Hazard is another artist that has encapsulated what was good about New Wave; he captures the nervous energy that punk made possible, but kept the smoothness and polish - and dare I say glamour? - that put the best of New Wave artists on magazine covers and on the radio (I must confess, I'm thinking of Blondie here most of all, Talking Heads a close second). They're good at sounding serious, although it may not always serve them. Best songs: Escalator Of Life and (I Just Want To) Hang Around With You.

What I Didn't Like:

The problem here with capturing the good of New Wave means taking the bad with it. The record suffers from the same problems that bedeviled New Wave when it began. The chief complaint was always conformity of sounds, and here Hazard and crew sound very much a piece of their time. Only by the first side does the group make any progress on an individual sound, chiefly with 'Escalator'. 'Change Reaction' and 'Out Of The Blue' are nice and bright, but too sugary for my taste. Synths sound cheesy on occasion, and riffs are simple; no real head-turning hooks here. And the cover of Dylan's 'Blowin' In The Wind' is very strange a choice; the faux orchestration as the song proceeds gets cheesy too. 

In Conclusion:

I have to say the disc is a slight disappointment, but 'Escalator Of Life' is worth tracking down, if you can find it on 7". 

Thanks, WYEP. You kept playing 'Birth In Reverse' until I liked it, so I had to pick up St. Vincent's self-titled album. With a sound I keep describing to people as 'quirk-pop', the album officially has me hooked. Anne Erin Clark, who goes by the stage name of St. Vincent, was an alumnus of The Polyphonic Spree, made an album with Talking Heads front David Byrne, and has now released her fourth full-length effort. Details below. 

What I Liked:

St. Vincent and David Byrne made an album together. I see why. Clark brings that strange, awkward nervous energy of Talking Heads- or Devo-esque New Wave to a fresh look at pop music, with very good results. Quirky and alien, with a very subtle wit and will; this is what New Wave should have made thirty years ago. Best showcase is new media commentary 'Digital Witness' with it's neurotic verse and gloriously bombastic chorus; quirk-danceable 'Birth In Reverse' is a close second with its giggly, engaging hook. Slower songs do have a nice sense of polish to them, e.g. 'Prince Johnny'. The synth component of her sound is surprisingly hard-edged - something I expect from a hard rock guitarist. It likewise lends weight; but with a different feel, a different character. Best Songs? Y'know, it's easier to list the exceptions. They're discussed next. 

What I Didn't Like:

I actually had to listen again to remember what it was I didn't like: 'I Prefer Your Love'. I'm not serious about religion, but the strangeness of out-and-out declaring feelings for somebody in specific preference over Jesus is one of the more odd trains of thought I've heard. It feels as honest as it does bizarre, and maybe that's why I personally find it off-putting. Some tracks get musically quiet ('Regret', 'Huey Newton'), and on those she starts to sound like a more grounded version of Ivy. Not a bad comparison, but I'll admit I expect a more individual stamp from Clark. 

In Conclusion:

A fabulously quirky album with a strong female creative force at the helm? Sign me up! Anyone who's not afraid of something truly 'alternative' in music would do well to at least take this disc for one spin. I recommend!

There's been a single hanging around Dave's Music Mine for a while now, and since the picture sleeve features a steam locomotive, it catches my eye every time. It's 'All The Trains' by David Bavas & The Down Comforter, backed with 'Nail In The Wall'. Oddly, The Down Comforter is credited here, but not on the album from which both tracks are taken. For this 7", Bavas presents a slow and traditional country sound, which readers will know appeals to me more than current pop-country. It's well done, with subtle production, and both songs are good - 'Nail In The Wall' being the more upbeat of the two. Both sides sounded very similar, though. Checking out the album might be worth it.