The Convenience of Indecision
Saddle Creek Records
My fear is that amid the new-hype crush of
revivalist NYC Velvet tribute bands and the ongoing folk-rock slowcore
undertow that this will be overlooked or discarded as just another indie
band's stab at thoughtful big-guitar rock and roll. But whereas the
Strokes do only a passable job stealing from Lou Reed and company (among
others), SAD succeeds in marrying their nods to Elvis C. and Graham P.
with the best shrugs of '90s-era indie slacker rock (who remembers Soul
Asylum, Sugar and Superchunk?).
These days it's hard to find a melody in any indie song that you'd want
to sing along to. There are at least six here at last count, with the very
best falling into the anthem category. "I want to go back to sleep
tonight / I'll never go back to sleep tonight" (One Version of
Events); "I know where my sympathies lie / I know where my
sympathy lies" (A Brilliant Ally); "What's the worst
part? / In your eyes / In your eyes" (Deadship, Darkship). You'll
be barking along with Matt Oberst and company after the first few spins, I
guarantee it.
If Oberst does a passable Costello/Parker croon, he more than passes
the songwriting audition; producing a better album than either of those
two have in 10 years. Maybe S.A.D. isn't the latest cool thing, but this
is consistently the first (and among the only) CD I reach for when I just
want to enjoy myself.