Here's an inventive, imaginative record that defies description, running all over the map between
rock and noise. Sounding equally influenced by Atari and ADD, Revolver II is a challenging run
through fractured compositions and alien textures that earns points for its sheer strangeness.
Revolver II reminds me of three kids fucking around in their basement. Not that there's anything
wrong with that--the songs (and there ARE songs) have the charming "throw everything in the
mix" feel. The instrumentation is vaguely guitar/bass/drums with distorted electronics, though
many of the drums are synth. Almost the entire album is recorded with the levels overdriven, so a
gritty fuzz surrounds everything (like the first Neutral Milk Hotel album).
The songs are much more akin to Swell Maps than Neutral Milk Hotel; verses and choruses are
there, but long noisy jams are there to subvert any standard pop form. Cheap electronics that
sound not unlike toys are all over the place, burying the more recognizable instruments with fuzzy
wailing.
It's not to say that this album is perfect--some of the more cacophonous pieces do become
tedious as the album progresses. But nothing lasts too long, with 22 tracks in just over 37
minutes. The song titles are difficult to determine, as they're not numbered and the presentation
is confusing, but navigating through the mess is part of the fun.
And that's what Revolver II ultimately is--fun--and a celebration of the creative mind. "Mr. X and
His Nine Disciples Eat Creamed Corn and Open Up a Factory" is sheer silliness, somewhere
between Dr. Seuss and Volcano the Bear. The goofy vocals are also in "Microcom Park vs. the
Luddite," which contains some sort of political message (though it's lost in the chaos).
The Lowdown may lack focus, but the constant attack of the album is so dizzying that it works
well. It would be somewhat interesting to hear these guys approach something slower, more
drawn out, and atmospheric, but I guess that's not their thing. Perhaps they are the ultimate
musical result of growing up in the video game generation.
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