The Long Winters - When I Pretend to Fall
(Barsuk)
The first problem with Seattle's Long Winters is that frontman John Roderick can't sing. In fact, he doesn't even try on most of these tracks, electing to speak his lyrics in a monotonic pitch. As a result, "Blue Diamond" and "Prom Night at Hater High" sound more like conversations than songs. Roderick attempts to introduce a second note into his vocal repertoire with little effect on "Scared Straight," whose musical backing deftly blends Steely Dan and Neutral Milk Hotel. In fact, Neutral Milk Hotel's's notorious non-singer, Jeff Mangum is a excellent point of reference.
Elsewhere, "Shapes" is XTC filtered through Guided by Voices and is at least written in a key that Roderick can reach without popping a blood vessel. The catchy "Cinnamon" could be a hit single if they could only find someone to sing it properly, and the dull, meandering "Bride and Bridle" isn't helped by combining a hoarse Steve Forbert with a sore-throated Rod Stewart delivery. The rest of the album is just as nondescript, particularly the pretentious prog suite, "Blanket Hog."
Roderick may have popular friends in the Seattle music scene (including REM/Minus 5-ers Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey, several Posies, Young Fresh Fellows, et al.), but he doesn't give them anything to play and hasn't written or arranged any interesting songs for them to perform. Coupled with his annoying, incessant, monotonous whine, When I Pretend To Fall is a difficult listening experience that is not worth the effort. For non-discriminating fans of experimental pop nutters Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Guided by Voices, and the more avant members of the Elephant Six collective only.
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