John Vanderslice is back at it again, at his San Francisco-located Tiny Telephone studio. With contributions and collaborations from members of Mates of State, Spoon, Death Cab for Cutie and Beulah, it’s no wonder this album came out as well as it did. With twelve 3-minute story-telling pop songs, Vanderslice manages to revive the epic “concept album.”
He begins the story by setting the poetry of William Blake to music, introducing the listener to his traumatic birth. However, through the employment of sharp hooks and memorable melodies, he successfully avoids the pretentious pseudo-intelligence that setting poetry to music would suggest. From here, he segues “Me and My 424” – the tale of this same incommunicable youth, who now retreats to his basement to record on his 4-track. With an altered beat from a Lauren Hill song (with simple hi-hat fills) and the help of Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard on harmony guitars and backing vocals, “Me and My 424” is easily the best song on the album. It’s a well-written example of Vanderslice’s classical music knowledge and because it remains easy and enjoyable to listen to, it, again, neglects the unnecessary simulation of that same common pseudo-intelligence that, for some reason, most “indie” bands today find indispensable.
He doesn’t stop at the modification of hip-hop beats, however. “Underneath the Leaves” is based around Pinback beat and replicates the tones of Grandaddy’s “Signal to Snow Ratio” and “Frosty Glass” EPs. Obvious Neutral Milk Hotel influences, as well are apparent in “Nikki oh Nikki”, and “Greyhound”.
With these new influences and collaborations, he’s matured greatly from “Time Travel is Lonely” and I wait anxiously to hear his next production.