The Curtains’ previous album, their second, captured a wonderful little pocket of music in which rock was reworked and realigned, though with a sense of playfulness, not the nihilism or intellectualism which often accompanies such deconstruction. Curtains came off as a little too precious, perhaps, but it was hard not to enjoy Flybys, which almost glowed with a childlike twinkle.
Vehicles of Travel is The Curtains' follow-up, and the first time they’ve made it from one album to the next with the band’s line-up intact. The trio still consists of Deerhoofers Greg Saunier and Chris Cohen, on keyboard and guitar, respectively, and Andrew Maxwell of Open City on drums. There’s a subtle shift in Curtains’ sound here, one that finds them easing into more straightforward waters. Their angular instrumental tendencies are smoothed a bit, and the supremacy of instrumentals, which always ruled Curtains’ roost until now, has given way. Vocals are all over the album, and while instrumental ditties remain, they’re no longer in the majority. Curtains have evolved into more of a well-behaved, but eminently quirky, pop trio. Their sparse constructions, usually short and economical, make rather pleasant frameworks for these poppy excursions. For whatever reason, though, be it the increased ease of listening in Curtains’ newer work, or simply a facet of this batch of songs, Vehicles of Travel is missing some of the magic that made the band’s last album so enjoyable. And for a band who can mine that magic so well, a change like this can be frustrating. Curtains haven’t lost their touch. The songs on this disc are well-crafted, pleasant listening, but it’s not hard to find oneself feeling as though something’s missing.
