Too late to be a Slowdive fan now. Too fucking late, and the fault is all mine. I came too late to the party, and despite the undeniable woozy charms of Souvlaki and the shoegaze brilliance of early stuff like "Avalyn II", I feel a little out of place in a world inhabited by Slowdive-loving people. everything is alive is a fine album that exists in a lovely space between shoegaze and dream pop, but catharsis is in short supply. Still, I enjoy the album, not least because I saw them perform a few of these songs at a Polish festival two months ago. They were inspired live, a little more so than in the studio.
Why is it that The National bore me to tears, and Matt Berninger's solo album from 2020 remains such a low-key triumph of bittersweet melancholia? A mystery. On the 18th of September (that is, ostensibly not on a Friday), The National released their second LP of the year. One would have been enough, but apparently it was always going to be a two-album project. Is Laugh Track any better than Two Pages of Frankenstein? Marginally, I guess, but overall this is the same old mellow, watered-down, vaguely melodic indie rock that teases but rarely delivers. I appreciate it that they try to shake things up with the closing 8-minute "Smoke Detector", and it definitely threatens to be something, but what it ultimately ends up being is a frustrating post-punk understatement.
As for Teenage Fanclub, my expectations are so low these days that I almost count Nothing Lasts Forever as a tepid success. Overall, you know what you are going to get: three songs with the word 'light' in them and power-pop melodies which barely have any power to them. The songs are good, catchy and well-written, but also very anaemic and formulaic. That said, I might imagine a Teenage Fanclub compilation with the sweet-pounding "Self-Sedation". The title of that song, though, is painfully truthful.
I have always been intrigued by the otherworldly songwriting of Kristin Hersh, which is both charming and a little spooky. Her latest, Clear Pond Road, is somewhat slight compared to her best work (Hips and Makers from 1994), but stuff like "Dandelion" and "Thank You, Corner Blight" is full of that tasteful, guitar-drenched lushness that has defined her sound.
Sadly, I still do not understand what it is that I am supposed to find in Mitski. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We is another critically acclaimed album from this songwriter who writes extremely pretty melodies that all go to very dull places. Take the country-tinged "Heaven", for instance. Lovely as hell, and sounds absolutely amazing (the album is masterfully produced) - but when she intones 'heaven' in the chorus, she sounds beautiful more than she sounds inspired.
Pretenders are back, and their latest album is called Relentless. These days, Pretenders are Chrissie Hynde, drummer Martin Chambers and a few non-original members who never seem to make any mess of it. Relentless is a good late-period Pretenders album, with that signature guitar sound and a number of melodies worth keeping. Ultimately, the album is saved by Hynde's personality that makes average songs sound good ("Domestic Silence") and good songs sound great ("A Love"). Quite a few ballads here, mind you, so if you do not like her mellower side (I do), you might struggle with the lengthy and slightly over-dramatic closer "I Think About You Daily".
What world are we living in if Will Butler's new album sounds a lot more exciting than Arcade Fire's recent output? But that is indeed the case. Will Butler + Sister Square is a mess, an absolutely unhinged hodgepodge of styles and moods (soulful punk, disco grooves, moody acoustic balladry, minimalist piano freak-outs). But it matters not. This is still the most entertaining record I have heard all month. For the record, Will's two previous solo albums are good, too ("Fine" remains an absolute classic).
Songs of the month:
Bill Ryder-Jones - "This Can't Go On"
Johnny Flynn & Robert Macfarlane - "Uncanny Valley"
Pretenders - "A Love"
Teenage Fanclub - "Self-Sedation"
Will Butler + Sister Squares - "Arrow Of Time"
