Reviews
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Guster Ganging Up on the Sun |
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by Oliver and Dawn St John
For two months now, we've been wandering around with various tracks from Ganging Up on the Sun in my head, and the album hasn't even been released yet. This sixth Guster album promises to be a good one. The first single, "One Man Wrecking Machine," has hit radio stations, getting fans excited about the June 20th CD release.
In mid-April, we at The Green Room had the opportunity to see Guster perform, and hear some of the new tracks live. Since then, a number of them have also been streamed through their website and blog. Finally, a couple of days ago, the review copy landed on our doorstep with the thunk of solid gold.
It would be almost impossible to encapsulate this album in a few paragraphs - it is so rich, so diverse, that each track is deserving of individual attention. As such, here is a track-by-track analysis:
Lightning Rod
O: The opening notes of Lightning Rod shimmer with the quiet intensity Guster do so well. The same sense of building expectation found in longtime favorite Airport Song or Rainy Day (the closer to 1999's Lost And Gone Forever album). The song uses a number of seventh chords, heightening the sense of expectation. Ryan Miller's soaring vocal leaps only add to the intensity, continuously building. Inevitably, the wave breaks upon reaching its peak, then softly recedes, setting the tone for a superb set of songs to follow.
D: The unusual sound to the intro immediately catches the listener's attention, but as soon as Ryan's vocals start, the focus shifts to his slightly mumbly lyrics, forcing you to listen more closely. In a style reminiscent of Lost and Gone Forever's "Rainy Day," the song subtly gains in intensity. I like this song's simplicity, absolutely ideal for a first track. It includes the barest touch of those harmonies Guster is so famous for, but when they do kick in, they're chilling.
Rating:
O: 8/10 D: 6/10 Overall: 7/10
Satellite
O: This is a much more uptempo number, staying largely rooted in the minor-key feel initiated by Lightning Rod. This brings together the acoustic guitar feel loved by Guster fans and a biting effect-driven crunch in the background of the verses. This track also begins a showcase of Brian Rosenworcel's percussive talents - while the "legendary conguero" has begun to use regular drums in addition to the hand percussion, he still maintains a steady beat to this song while taking the time to play with it a little. The song closes with a guitar jangle reminiscent of early 90's REM, nicely countering and supporting the main vocal riff.
D: Now we start to kick things up a notch, energy-wise. From its intro, this song brings more of the harmonies and drums. It feels almost epic, with a huge stadium-rock sound. The catchy vocals and more complex solos blend together smoothly, creating a seamless connection. This track bridges the gap between a softer beginning and the more aggressive middle section of the CD.
Rating:
O: 7/10 D: 7/10 Overall: 7/10
Manifest Destiny
O: This is where Guster's irrepressible sense of fun comes to the fore. From the happy, bouncy melody line on the words "How did everything get so fucked up?" to the teasing piano riffs between vocal lines, this song is an uplifting tribute to the notion of "getting away from it all". Rosenworcel, affectionately dubbed "Thundergod", breaks out some of the hand percussion in this song. Major key harmonies abound, bringing us to a still bouncier place just in time for the current single.
D: Since hearing this one live at April's show, I've been hooked on the energetic piano ditty. The cheerful tune almost (but not quite) obscures the more serious nature of the lyrics, which I've been puzzling over and trying to decipher where they are literal and where there's a deeper message. Be prepared to have this one in your head for long periods of time. The piano solo is a bit of a departure from previous efforts, but certainly a move in a positive direction.
Rating:
O: 8/10 D: 8/10 Overall: 8/10
One Man Wrecking Machine
O: This is a great tune in which Ryan Miller pines for the "good old days" of high school, though wishing he could repeat those times with the experience he has gained since. Achingly familiar sentiments to many of us. A wailing guitar backs up the chorus, lending the tune a mixture of poignancy and humor. The lyrics are an ode to the carefree days of youth, a time in which we all have our problems yet look back on fondly as a halcyon time. But of course there's a twist to them - perhaps it wasn't so perfect after all. This song's been on a lot of independent radio stations - call and ask for it at a station near you!
D: The first radio single unfolds in a very storylike manner. It tells of that feeling we all get as adults sometimes where we want to go back in time, either to relive it or to change it. I think the enthusiastic sound and lyrical accessibility makes this a great choice for first single. It has an appropriate balance between instruments and vocals, so that no one part stands out from any other.
Rating:
O: 7/10 D: 8/10 Overall: 7.5/10
The Captain
O: This song re-introduces the banjo which found its voice on the band's 2003 album Keep It Together, the last Guster studio outing. Unlike the older tracks "Backyard" and "Jesus on the Radio", however, this song has a much more polished feel, the effortlessly blended vocal harmonies that are one of the band's signature elements being strongly showcased. This is very much a "short and sweet" track, capped by another guitar solo. Since the arrival of multi-instrumentalist Joe Pisapia as the fourth member of the band, there has been a great deal more room for experimentation, and it's really showing on this CD. If you're not singing along by the end of this track, you're not listening hard enough.
D: We move back in time somewhat, to a classic "Guster" sound, if there can be said to be such a thing. The banjo which was first introduced on Keep it Together makes a return. This bouncy number includes incredible three-part harmonies, with the induction of Joe into the band. Some very impressive guitar and synth parts during the outro as well.
Rating:
O: 9/10 D: 9/10 Overall: 9/10
The New Underground
O: Here we see a new side of Guster. This song is a much edgier number than most, diving back into minor keys for a dark, angry diatribe against any suppression of views or opinions. "No one here can make a sound, we're all ghosts in this town", Miller yells. Backed by an almost violent assault on the drums from Rosenworcel, Guster are "digging the trenches of the new underground". Even the keyboard solo carries a driving intensity, and Adam Gardner's stabbing guitar riff provides us a sudden awakening from the shiny happy feel of the last couple of tunes.
D: Here is where Guster takes us into a VERY different sound, thus proving (once again) their diversity. I wouldn't have expected to like it the way Ryan screams out this song's lyrics, but it just goes to show that there's nothing these guys can't do together. While the CD version is obviously more polished than when I heard this one live, it hasn't lost any power. The layered vocals and darkness of the lyrics provide that even in a studio setting. The song's sudden end only serves to leave the listener wanting more...
Rating:
O: 9/10 D: 9/10 Overall: 9/10
Ruby Falls
O: This is the standout track on an album made up of outstanding tracks. The longest song Guster have recorded to date, this seven-minute epic gathers unto itself Floydian ambiance as well as a surprising brass solo. I can't wait to hear this one live. It starts out with a deceptively sweet guitar riff, and a light, clear tenor vocal. This gives way quite suddenly to a heavy chorus of crunchy power chords and jarring sevenths, then is back just as quickly. A harmonized pair of screaming guitar lines pull us toward the bridge, in which the three vocalists trade lines in a flowing harmony, still matching the hypnotic drag of the chords which by this time threaten to pull us in like a raging river's undertow. Suddenly it is once again softer, as we emerge from the trials and tribulations into a better place, perhaps the very afterlife spoken of in the lyrics. A trumpet guides us home with a lilting melody, but a crescendo of whining guitar feedback reminds us of where we just came from.
D: ... and more they shall receive, so good they forget they were waiting. Seven-minutes long and epic in sound, this gives my all-time favorite Guster song ("Come Downstairs and Say Hello" from the Keep It Together album) some competition. A quiet guitar and soft, sweet voice draw you in until the song suddenly explodes with sound and fury. Ryan's vocals on this remind me of a Beatles song, an opinion which is reinforced by the harmonies created between him, Joe, and Adam. There is no one style that describes this one, as it varies from ballad-like vocals to power-chords on guitar and back again, all driven by the drum beat Brian provides as a backbone to hold it all together. And did I mention the random trumpet solo? This track could be an album unto itself, and no one would be bored.
Rating:
O: 11/10 D: 10/10 Overall: 10.5/10
C'mon
O: For all of "Ruby Falls"' glory, "C'mon" comes as a welcome respite from the heady experiences, being a good old-fashioned rockout. This is a track you would put on in your car, put the top down and blitz down the highway. This track would perhaps, however, have been better suited to Keep It Together than to this magnum opus, since it is also probably the most simplistic song on here. From any other band, this might well have been a big moment, but on Ganging Up on the Sun it is a little disappointing.
D: This one tends towards more of a classic rock style. Brian has more to keep up with on this one, with the maracas in addition to the drum kit. While still the kind of quality you would expect from a group of musicians of their caliber, this one doesn't have any specific "hook" the way the others seem to. It's just a straight up rock song. Perhaps it would stand out better, were it not sandwiched between the album's strongest tracks.
Rating:
O: 6/10 D: 5/10 Overall: 5.5/10
Empire State - (download this song here!)
O: In June 2005, Guster played a pair of shows with the Boston Pops Orchestra. The setlist included this song, with full orchestral backing. Guster's quietest song, Empire State would perhaps be better described as a poem with soft musical backing than as a song outright. The lyrics are of paramount importance here, and yet they appear so couched in metaphor as to mean almost anything. From the title, one could assume a political bent, though this too would be no more than a guess. All together now: All hands up, salute the empire state!
D: I first heard this track last summer in Boston and was completely blown away. Nothing is ever going to equal seeing them perform with the Pops, but this song remains very much a stand-out Guster experience for me. When I picked my jaw up off the ground at Symphony Hall, I was already anticipating "Empire State's" appearance on the upcoming album. A year later, I am not the least bit disappointed. The instrumentation is almost incidental throughout most of the song, forcing the listener to really pay attention to the lyrics' depth. However, during the last verse, there is a swell before the instruments completely die away, leaving us with only Ryan's voice, wrought with emotion.
Rating:
O: 10/10 D: 9.5/10 Overall: 9.75/10
Dear Valentine
O: A swift return to the faster tempos, this song introduces a swinging 6/8 feel to this album's arsenal of musical tricks. "Dear Valentine" has a bittersweet touch to it, culminating in its signature line: "Float a mile away, say we'll be OK, Dear Valentine". Much like "The Captain" before "The New Underground", this song lulls us back into a false sense of security before the band delivers its next suckerpunch.
D: If I'm not mistaken, this one features Adam on lead vocals, something that was more common in the era of Parachute, but seems less frequent now. From the trance-like feel of its mellow preceder, this one pulls us back in and wakes us up with another inclusion of a brass section adding an extra level to the sound.
Rating:
O: 7/10 D: 6/10 Overall: 6.5/10
The Beginning Of The End
O: Let's take the energy and power of "The New Underground" and kick it up a notch. The song opens with the line "We're not sentimental, we're just oil-filled machines", and gets harsher from there, a biting critique of modern Western culture. Here Rosenworcel really shines, taking us on a journey through a variety of different feels and rhythm. This is the closest Guster have ever come to punk, and true to the form the song does not even clock in at three minutes long. Had your only exposure to Guster been the softer, sweeter tones of Lost And Gone Forever, this one would come as a sizeable surprise. Even with the rest of the Guster oeuvre under our proverbial belts, it is only due to having heard "The New Underground" already that this song is even imaginable. And yet, Guster try their hand at this and consistently impress.
D: This is about as "hard" as Guster gets, and they do it well with intriguing lyrics, driving beat, powerful instrumentation. Of course, it wouldn't be Guster without some variety in tempo and style (and in this case the tempo changes are especially noteworthy). It slows down just enough to make you sit up and think, "Oh, I should pay attention to this part!" before kicking back in with the heavy sound. The fade-out comes kind of suddenly, but generally speaking the song just plain rocks hard.
Rating:
O: 8/10 D: 7/10 Overall: 7.5/10
Hang On
O: Our sonic experience draws to a close with "Hang On", a slower, softer track, easing us back out through the same door we entered. This ode to courage in the face of directionlessness provides a note of hope, leaving us looking forward to what's coming next. The tune ends with an exhortation: "Be brave. Be proud. Hold my hand. Pretend. When your hope is gone, hang on." This perhaps epitomizes the spirit of Guster's music. Life isn't always good, but whever you may face is always tempered by hope. In a sense, Guster are the silver lining to the cloud of an American Idol-driven era of manufactured throwaway pop. Long may the silver shine.
D: The CD closes with this moody number. The lyrics are phenomenal in their imagery and story-telling. With this one, the whole matters more than the sum of its musical parts. Each piece works together with each other to form a finished product, which ends up sounding as if they belong together and have always been that way.
Rating:
O: 7/10 D: 8/10 Overall: 7.5/10
Overall impressions: I'd have liked to hear more of Brian's "thundergod" drumming on the record, and I'd love to see them move back towards more hand-drums, but on the flipside of that, it gives fans an additional reason to see them live. Of course, every CD has its low point, but this one really left me thinking, "Where is it?" because even the songs with lower ratings are still great. I think the album works very well together or separated into its individual tracks. 9/10