In the last few years the output of San Diego superstar John Reis has been
limited to luke warm Rocket From the Crypt albums which seemed to receive
a less than rabidly enthusiastic reception among almost all potential
fans, new and old. However, whether or not you consider yourself a fan of
any of the various bands Reis has had a hand in, you'd be foolish to deny
that he's had a significant part in the creation of several broad trends
in music over the last several years, almost single-handedly giving birth
to the San Diego centered "Screamo" sub-category of "emo" through his work
in Drive Like Jehu and the earlier Pitchfork, as well as having a
supporting role in the birth, for good or evil, of party punk up to and
including acts such as MTV's Blink 182, through the influential if
recently somewhat disappointing RFTC. If his music hasn't created HUGE
dollar signs for either himself or the various labels he's worked with, at
least it is apparent that he has a musical legacy that deserves respect
and even admiration, and that, under the right circumstances, he can have
his own particular genius for guitar rock.
Many of the large-small figures in music, similar to Reis, who
flirt with and mentally prepare themselves for the possibility of
widespread success, only to find that their moment has passed, without
enough money to retire on, seem to emerge with a new
proposition in mind. They see that they can trade the possibility of
becoming a rock star for the more realistic (and often better for us,
the fans) possibility of becoming a professional musician. Using their
status and position to release numerous small and varied albums rather
than once-every-two-years blockbuster-or-bust would-be radio hits allows
such musicians to hopefully make a living with what they do while also
liberating them musically. With the recent release of the excellent
"Automatic Midnight" by Hot Snakes as well as this current album from John
Reis as a solo artist, the self titled Back Off Cupids, he seems poised
to embark on the kind of career that he maybe should have been pursuing
all along.
Of course, Reis has always been a prolific worker, having produced
a personal discography that includes dozens and dozens, if not hundreds, of
releases. But in this most recent spurt, and in particular with this Back
Off Cupids release, he has gratifyingly created his most interesting and
even exciting music since the demise of Drive Like Jehu.
The music here is primarily instrumental with just enough
repetition, pseudo-classical minor-keyed sinisterness, and use of analog
electronics to bear a passing resemblance to classic kraut-rock, but not
overbearingly so. Dark and intense, but also strange and even silly, the
music has all the creative lack of inhibition that made Drive Like Jehu
such a pleasure to listen to, without being as explosive or chaotic as
that band. But Jehu fans will appreciate Reis's hallmark guitar sound and
strange ability to twist a melody out of shape until it is far more
beautiful than a guitarist who played all the "right" notes could make it
(remember "Sinews"?).
If there's going to be a criticism of this album by me, it is
tied to the nostalgia for the good old stuff that it has obviously evoked.
It's true; it's not the old stuff. It's honestly also probably is not even
as good as the old stuff "just in a different way". But, hell, if you
refused to buy any album that wasn't as good as Yank Crime then that means
you've bought at most maybe five or six albums in like eight years, or
something, so maybe it's time to start getting interested in music again.
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