Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover Re-Review
I have an extra ticket for tomorrow’s show at Lee’s Palace. So if anyone from the Toronto area would like to see the show (the ticket is going to waste otherwise), email me and we’ll meet up before the show.Anyway I plan to see the show tomorrow and when looking back on my original review of Random Spirit Lover, I gave it a good score but I couldn’t really find many words to describe it’s greatness.
It’s been 6 months since it was first released and from that point on, listening to Random Spirit Lover has kept getting better and better. There have been many reviews of this album, some calling it the best of the year well others lambasting it’s roughness and complexity.
The general statement I hear around this album that it’s “Not For Everyone”. No music is for everyone to begin with and it’s mainly the thought that either the listener won’t appreciate the art work of the painter or in this case the artist takes a different approach. Ultimately when looking at Random Spirit Lover, it’s an absolutely masterpeice where you have to look at the nooks and crannies to find it.
Let’s divulge into why I consider Random Spirit Lover to be oh-so-fucking-great.
1) Lyrically complex (or “fucked up”). Songs on RSL are quite strange indeed. Interpreting songs are near impossible and can have a broad range of meanings. Generally, it’s confusing to take the “literal” route with trying to think of songs. Either way it’s a pleasure to attempt to dissect them and ultimately come with a conclusion of I Don’t Know or I’m Not Sure
2) Random musical composition.
This is where Sunset Rubdown lives up to its album name, complementing their lyrical randomness involves using an unsymmetrical structure whether by guitar or keyboard. Sometimes kicking it in latter portions of tracks adding a riff or just random guitar playing it seems.
3) Spencer Krug’s singing
Whereas critics are quick to judge and dismiss the singing due to the “annoying” yelps and screams. However I am going to say that this is what actually gives some tracks some of its passion. There are times where his voice is just fine and times where he’s screaming off his lungs. When he is is screaming off his lungs it’s more bearable then not and it’s not like theyre screeches that you would find on a metal album.
4) No song is boring
If you see a critic say this album is boring, they’re liars or pretentious fags (okay that’s not too nice). There’s a ton of diversity where you have soft moments mixed with the full hard-rock moments and Sunset Rubdown perfects all of them perfectly. You have to give this album a chance as you have a lot thrown at you at once and each time you take in something different. Boring is just a shitty way of characterizing things.
As you can see, I’m very high on this album. It was at least given the most #1 votes in Pitchfork’s Fan Voting so there are guys who see what I see. Otherwise for such a classic, there’s very little fan fare, maybe because a lot of critics didn’t give it the time it needed. A lot of people may miss out on it but I’m here spreading the word as much as possible.
I think of the discussions I have with friends is how a band like Pink Floyd would never live in our era. We’re either too mainstream/pop obsessed (guilty!) that we don’t dare challenge ourselves. I’m willing to put myself out there and call this album Pink Floyd art rock-esque. Random, challenging, brilliant. So far one of the better albums I have ever heard. 5 out of 5.
Winged/Wicked Things by Sunset Rubdown
The Courtesan Has Sung by Sunset Rubdown
For The Pier (And Dead Shimmering) by Sunset Rubdown
Buy Random Spirit Lover at Insound, CD Universe and Amazon
Tags: album, album review, art rock, Montreal, Spencer Krug
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Thanks for the review! I shall listen to the album now!