Being born in the early 90s, I wouldn’t say that I was truly able to appreciate the music of it until I was older. The music I was listening to at the time was whatever my parents put on, glimpses of the Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers on the radio, and the boy band CDs my parents bought for me. But I was vaguely aware of the culture, the feeling of a decade that rapidly approached the new millennium. A decade that was very much a rebellion against the hairspray and leather of the 80’s, experiencing a new psychedelic renaissance in music and film. And while the aforementioned bands were definitely figureheads of the 90s, this band absolutely sounds like the decade.
It’s easy to see why this album was an absolute flop when it was released, but also to see how it has since risen to cult classic status. There are no hard singles on this album, and the one released, “Only Shallow”, isn’t exactly radio friendly. But man, listening to this album now it’s easy to see why so many musicians and audiophiles praise it for being influential. Guitarist Kevin Shield’s amplifier hums with overblown static and sway with dissonance as he liberally applies the whammy bar to each chord, and his riffs come across as more like washes of sound and color instead of actual notes. Lyrics aren’t so much as sung as mumbled, an extension of the music more than an actual message to the listener.
This album is definitely a grower. When I first put it on I found myself nodding along, appreciating the concept and experimentation but not really finding myself engrossed in the song writing, but with each listen I find myself more and more drawn in. I can imagine using this album as the background to a warm sunny day out in the backyard or the soundtrack to a sunset paddleboard on the local lake. I don’t think I’ll force myself to return this album, nor do I feel an immediate demand to do so, but I know for a fact that at some point it will find me and continue to find me. It’ll catch me as I’m trying to find the perfect soundtrack for a lazy afternoon of camping, or a hike up into the mountains. I’ll put it on and, like an old friend, it’ll take me back to a time that I wasn’t able to appreciate, but a decade that I’m heavily nostalgic for. Like any good album it will transport me into a different place, and a different mood. All the best music does that, and this is no exception.
My Rating: 3.5/5
The Word and The Song 