Rob Crow and I go way back. His first band, Heavy Vegetable is a longtime favorite of mine. Their two albums Frisbie and The Undersea Adventures of Aqua Kitty are absolutely brilliant (the singles collection Mondo Aqua Kitty is uneven, but still a fun listen). His next projects all yielded absolutely incredible albums (Thingy's To the Innocent, Optiganally Yours' Spotlight On..., Physics' 2, ... the list goes on). Recently he has begun receiving some nominal fame and quite a lot of acclaim as a member of Pinback with Zack Smith of Three Mile Pilot. Along with all of these projects, he also has released a few solo recordings in the past (an album, Lactose Adept, a split CD with Lesser, and a couple as yet unreleased albums). Not to mention his occasional oddball bands such as Fantasy Mission Force. But, anyway, before Pinback's next album comes out next year, he has just released his second full length under his own name.
The first solo album was a difficult collection of weird bedroom recordings. It was pretty uneven, and likely to be enjoyed mainly by rabid fans. This time around, he has actually gotten more random (by including some of the aforementioned oddball 'joke' band songs), but somehow it all feels more cohesive and natural. Which is probably due to the inclusion of several fully thought-out songs, such as "Some Things" and "Beyond Him," which bear more than passing resemblance to Pinback. Then there are songs like "Never Alone" which he recorded a few years ago (and put up on the internet) as a joke boy band song. Or the death metal "Jedi Outcast." Rob Crow's unflinching refusal to play the part of the "cool guy" is endearing and when his dorky, fun side comes out interspersed between songs that showcase his unparalleled pop songwriting ability, it makes both sides feel more genuine. "Curtains on Fire" is a textbook example of a Thingy song, and to have it follow the downright strange stylistic mish-mash of "Overtime," only makes its impact stronger.
Having made a sizable stack of brilliant records, Rob Crow's popularity is growing, and his songwriting prowess is ever-expanding. This solo album shows his many musical personalities, and the ease with which he can shift ideas while retaining his signature sense of melody, harmony, and structuring.
|
