The Battles - Lycanthropy
(Blue Curtain)
Destroyer's Dan Bejar has been damn prolific--after his own band's excellent Streethawk: The Seduction and the much-acclaimed New Pornographers record, he's somehow found the time to play keyboard in The Battles. Along with two more Destroyers, the Battles showcase the songwriting of Steve Wood, leaving Bejar quietly on the keys.
Unlike the previously mentioned Canadian pop bands, the Battles are firmly rooted in the quieter sounds of Big Star and Robyn Hitchcock. Described on the CD as artful 70's rock/pop, there are moments that do indeed recall Big Star's Third (like the beautiful, delicate "Witness to a Crime") and Mayo Thompson's brilliant experiments.
However, the record is lacking what makes great pop records great. There's nothing in the songs to make me want to listen a second time. The melodies don't get stuck in my head, and there are no exciting hooks except for a few strong tracks (the title track and the above-mentioned song being two of them); the record feels thin, stuffed with filler.
Dull, plodding tracks like "John Merrick" hold the album back from being as pleasant as the Destroyer albums are; even "Flight of the Crow," obviously written with Big Star in mind, feels empty. Still, I gotta hand it to Wood for writing in a style that hasn't been overdone; I'd rather listen to slightly more obtuse arrangements and melodies than another band that sounds like Weezer.
This record will probably be overlooked in the glut of hype around the New Pornographers, but a more solid future effort from the Battles could probably be a lot more rewarding.
|
