borrowed tunes

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March 17, 2005

the soundtrack of our lives :: origin, vol. 1

(buy)

Gentle readers, I think we are confronted with the sound of a band moving in the wrong direction. There's plenty of good on Origin, Vol. 1, but the bad stuff speaks ill of the future. I'm a little bit worried we have a case of the AC/DC rule here: I firmly believe that Acca-Dacca lost it precisely at the beginning of side 2 of For Those About to Rock, literally in mid-album. This new TSOOL runs out of gas around track 6, and they may never be back as we knew them. Good news! Origin Vol. 1 is apparently the first in a planned trilogy!

I'm going to resist the temptation to spend this entire review poking fun at the lyrics on this disc. These poor Swedes have chosen a cleaner production and a slightly poppier sound - which has pushed the vocals out front and resulted in a feast of howlers, dead rhymes, and doggerel.

Now, you'll throw this platter in (or load up the couple of choice cuts below) and call me wrong for over 20 minutes. You'll say the bland opener is a forgivable prologue and submit the "Pinball Wizard"-copping "Transcendental Suicide" as evidence for the rock and roll defense. "Big Time" is some sort of motorik Judas Priest/Deep Purple wonder. "Heading For A Breakdown" is a 60s psych-pop handclapper, complete with the "For What It's Worth" guitar chime. "One Track Mind" is a blazing Stooges riff with a Liam Gallagher vocal - I think there's an Oasis melodic sensibility of the good, "Supersonic" variety running throughout this disc.

"Midnight Children" is where it all comes apart. TSOOL is, like many backward-looking bands, at best a celebration and at worst a shtick. From its title to its lyrics to the rote backwards-guitar stonerisms and flat delivery, this tune is an uninentional parody. Midnight children got not place to stay/Midnight children don't care if you're straight or gay. Well, alright then.

From there, the album is a collection of ripped riffs and half-decent, partly-owned ideas that can't transcend their clichébound structures. "Royal Explosion (Part II)" is a late glimmer of hope, another Detroit protopunk burner. Then there's the accurately named "Wheels Of Boredom". The last track before the bonus section tries very hard to be a winner but can't quite get off the ground depsite some well-placed Farfisa organ and Queen-style phaser sweeps.

I did see this band live earlier in the year, playing many of these songs, and they melted the club down. So all hope may not be lost. But other people are even more harshly disappointed - see what the I Love Music crowd is saying. The good news in there is that a set of Union Carbide Productions reissues coming for those interested in historical research - and rocking without compromise.

This album has its lovers. Mojo Magazine raves: Breathtaking moments, brilliant tunes, and Breakdown, a genuinely Beatles-league pop hit. Uncut says Majestic, life-affirming and touched by magic.

And then there's Thom Jurek in the All Music Guide, who never met a record that didn't change his fucking world:

TSOOL has arrived after a decade of carefully and meticulously crafting a passionate and compelling rock music that incorporates everything it finds genuine and necessary in pursuit of a music and lyricism that powerfully and beautifully articulates that which is less than obvious.

"A passionate and compelling rock music"? Thom will be providing us with lots of enjoyment in the future.

Enjoy the good parts.

Transcendental Suicide (mp3)
Heading For A Breakdown (mp3)

p.s. Don't get me started on new discs that have "bonus tracks". Did the band not want to take ownership of these b-side quality songs? Are you supposed to pull the disc out after track 12, turn around 3 times, caibrate your taste-o-meter to bonus setting and listen to the last 2? WTF?

Posted by borrowed_tunes at March 17, 2005 10:14 PM

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