ALTERNATIVE album reviews
In this issue
Death Vessel, Island Intervals
As long as words are spilled over Death Vessel, they will be concentrated on Joel Thibodeau’s pixieish vocals, a heart-on-Greensleeves soprano delivery infused with naiveté, triangulated between upper-register dwellers Jónsi, Justin Vernon and the late, great Jeff Hanson. Much of this is due to the foreignness of a grown man sounding like a female child; the rest owes to the Rhode Islander’s music and lyrics, which push simplicity and complexity to polar extremes, pretty folk ditties twisting language around long-voweled, motheaten moods. The voice and lyrics still confound—Thibodeau loves his lookie-loos and derringdos—but it’s the music on this concise third LP that demands notice. Grand legato synthesizers and ambling accidental percussion signpost the new direction on “Ejecta,” “Mercury Dime” clipclops through wind-chiming groves, and “Ilsa Drown” goes cloud surfing with Jónsi. They’re songs for wherever here is, and after. —Noah Bonaparte Pais
Silversun Pickups, The Singles Collection
It’s been less than 10 years since Silversun Pickups dropped their debut EP Pikul, but in today’s musical climate, that’s long enough for a retrospective. The Singles Collection is exactly what it says on the tin: 10 of the Silver Lake alt-rockers’ singles, including a brand new one. (Technically, it’s not all of their singles, leaving out the Record Store Day exclusive “Seasick” single and a few more.) Though maybe a little unnecessary, it’s a nice introduction to a great slice of catchy rock music. All the band’s most popular songs are on there—the laid-back “Lazy Eye,” the funky “Panic Switch,” the hard-rocking “Well Thought Out Twinkles”—all of which made appearances on the Billboard charts. (As well as the Peruvian charts, where the band is quite popular.) “Cannibal,” the driving new song, continues the band’s experiments with more electronic sounds from 2012’s Neck of the Woods, while still fitting the feel of this collection. —Bryan Bierman
The Unsemble,The Unsemble
The dudes in the Unsemble don’t have shit to prove anymore. First you’ve got Duane Denison, whose work in the Jesus Lizard gets ripped off by neo-noise-rock bands on the regular. Then there’s Alexander Hacke, whose contributions to Einstürzende Neubauten helped define industrial music for more than 30 years. They’re joined by Brian Kotzur, whose stint in the Silver Jews included the indie-rock cornerstone’s triumphant return (Tanglewood Numbers). The trio got together two summers ago to record what would end up being this album, and while it’d be wrong to say it sounds like they don’t care, it doesn’t sounds like they’re trying to impress anybody. These 15 instrumental tracks come across as half exorcism, half jam session. Denison is still ever the technician, laying down spidery lines that underscore the restraint that none of his descendants have managed to mimic. It’s the work of three musicians—who’ve already given us plenty reason to trust their instincts—doing whatever felt right at the time. —Matt Sullivan