Mojave 3 – Excuses For Travellers

 

Mojave 3 – Excuses For Travellers

By

Jesse E. Mullen

Editor’s Note: I’ve previously covered Mojave 3 on my blog, but Excuses For Travellers is simply too good not to review

You’ve formed an excellent band from the ashes of another great band. You’ve successfully made two albums exploring the sounds of slowcore, alt. country, and evoking the vastness of the Mojave desert. What do you do next? Make another excellent album.

So was the story of Mojave 3 in the spring of 2000. The Reading quintet had released two albums of dreamy slowcore, 1995’s Ask Me Tomorrow and 1998’s Out of Tune. They took the glacial soundscapes of Slowdive and distilled them into even more minimalist music.

When the band went to record their third album in 1999, there were no major shifts in the lineup or style of music. What had changed however, was the almost memoir-like quality of Neil Halstead’s songs.

When Excuses For Travellers was released in May of 2000, it must have felt like a statement of purpose for the group. Opener “In Love With A View” recounts the beginning of a romance amidst a winter storm. The song gradually builds over the course of six minutes until Simon Rowe lets loose a blistering guitar solo.

Halstead’s harmonies with Rachel Goswell were always a major hallmark of the band’s sound, and they are omnipresent here. But where they make the biggest impact is on “My Life In Art.” A glorious seven-minute epic with glacial, 12/8 drumming by Ian McCutcheon, lesser groups would flounder attempting to sustain interest of fans.

But like Red House Painters before them, Mojave 3 are more than up to the task. Halstead spins a Dylanesque tale about human existence, from the trials of a homeless man to an author struggling to write a book. Halstead takes the lead vocal until the second verse, where Goswell joins him in harmony.

When the two mesh, it is a match made in heaven. If Halstead himself should ever write a book, he’d be well advised to title it My Life In Art. And I would be remiss not to mention the sonic qualities which producer Mark Van Hoen bring to the table.

His dry drum production mixed with the reverb on the vocals, guitars, vibraphones, and trumpets gives the album a sound rarely heard outside of the work of The American Analog Set. Speaking of production touches, one of the most (subtly) sonically dolled-up tracks is Goswell’s “Bringin’ Me Home.”

The lyrics tell a tale of a relationship gone sour, and Goswell finds refuge in the seaside of Devon. Although it seems to be a deeply personal song, she allowed for production “bells and whistles” such as vibraphone, xylophone, and bullet-mic’d backing vocals which made her sound like she was underwater. 

The overall effect is a sonically adventurous track which recalls what Broadcast were doing at the time. And as Goswell’s only lead vocal on the album, it is a welcome change of pace. But there was also another pleasant surprise on the album.

“Trying To Reach You” had been played live by Mojave 3 since April of 1996. Yet they had apparently never recorded a satisfactory version in the studio. That is, until Excuses For Travellers.

Previously, the acoustic-based arrangement had been a live favorite with fans. But here, the song is fully fleshed out with banjos, pedal steel, Goswell’s harmonies, and McCutcheon’s brushstroke drums. In this arrangement, the song gains new life, making the four-year wait well worth it.

Speaking of new arrangements, the American release of Excuses For Travellers substitutes the acoustic fingerpicked version of “Prayer For The Paranoid” for an electric, full-band version. While this alternate arrangement lacks the intimacy of the acoustic one, it more than makes up for it in majesty.

The vocal harmonies of Goswell and Halstead when they sing “These days are cold/And I'm missing you” add a poignance and emotional weight that was missing on the previous take. McCutcheon is again an MVP, with steady powerful drumming in waltz time.

The pedal steel is also a welcome addition to the track. It has a similar effect to what it does on Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” It broadens the arrangement and helps to bring back some of the sadness that was lost by electrifying the track. 

While Mojave 3 are well-loved amongst those who know them, they don’t have the critical attention of their contemporaries. Still, their first three albums are as close to perfection as can be found in all of slowcore. And Excuses For Travellers is quite possibly the best of the bunch.

4AD/2000

 

 

 

 

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – Mirror Traffic

 

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – Mirror Traffic

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You’ve fronted two famous indie bands. In fact, you’ve practically invented indie rock. You’ve gotten a lot of acclaim, if not a ton of money to show for it. And now you want to collaborate with an old friend.

So was the story of Stephen Malkmus in the summer of 2009. The guitarist and songwriter had great critical success with his first group Pavement, and more success with his indie-jamband Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks.

Malkmus had worked with famous producers before, including Nigel Godrich. But now he and his Jicks were going to be collaborating with Beck to make their next album. In Beck, Malkmus found a likeminded free spirit who could make things happen behind the mixing board.

Expectations for such a collaboration must have been high. Fans were waiting since the 1990s for such a project to surface. So, when the Jicks finally released Mirror Traffic in the summer of 2011, how did it sound? And could it measure up to listeners’ hopes?

Album opener “Tigers” feature Malkmus’ signature fingerstyle guitar leads and (typically) bizarre lyrics about “streaking in […] Birkenstocks.” In other words, it was no drastic departure, but a fun summer anthem for 2011.

Second track “No One Is (As I Are Be)” allows Malkmus to delve into an ascending melody on an acoustic guitar as the singer dismisses sit-ups as “bourgeoisie.” “Senator” uses Malkmusian zaniness and fluid Janet Weiss drumming to articulate humorously obscene lyrics about a political sex scandal.

“Stick Figures In Love” and “Spazz” dig into Malkmus’ post-punk roots. “Stick Figures” features a fast, monotone lead and a chugging rhythm guitar. “Spazz” brings to mind the sound of The Who on too many purple hearts. A spastic drumbeat gives way to a verse that is missing a quarter note.

Malkmus sings a hilarious tale from the perspective of a horny teen at summer camp. He receives “French kiss lessons” and “feels like a total goner.” It’s a lot of fun, and wastes none of it’s 2:37 second track length.

But perhaps the best song of all is “Asking Price.” A gently arpeggiated, minor key guitar riff and steady drumbeat reminiscent of “Major Leagues” introduce the track in majestic fashion. Malkmus sings mysteriously about the “distortion” being “way too clear,” and that the “extortion is way too near.”

Could he be referring to Pavement’s impending 2010 reunion, and the rough edges being sanded away from the band with years more of experience? (Not to mention higher guarantees and ticket prices, thus the “extortion” bit.) Or was he commenting on the then-recent recession? Only Malkmus knows for sure.

In the end, Mirror Traffic never got the same recognition as other Malkmus/Pavement classics such as Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and Wowee Zowee. Which is a shame, because as his hardcore fans know, the music on Mirror Traffic is just as good as anything on either of those records.

Matador/2011

 

 

 

Rose City Band – Summerlong

 

Rose City Band – Summerlong

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You’ve led a critically acclaimed psychedelic rock band for 13 years. You’ve played at All Tomorrow’s Parties festival and supported Sonic Youth on tour. But what happens when you want to conceal your identity?

So was the story of Ripley Johnson in 2019. The guitarist and songwriter had led the acclaimed band Wooden Shjips for over a decade. But Johnson was looking for something different. And he wanted to do it in secret.

Johnson wanted to make music in the style of American Beauty-era Grateful Dead. But he wanted to keep his identity disguised. So, he devised the plan of forming Rose City Band but not mentioning his name anywhere in the credits for their debut album.

That album, 2019’s eponymous Rose City Band showed Johnson’s knack for hazy slowcore, but also hinted that he had much more to offer. So, when the follow-up Summerlong arrived in June of 2020, fans were clamoring for what Johnson could offer next.

The album opens with the gentle country rock of “Only Lonely.” Over a skipping guitar lick and a country beat, Johnson describes a lazy Sunday in Portland, OR. He’s longing for romantic attention but seems content with lounging around. It works wonderfully as the soundtrack to those early summer days where the days are still getting longer, and the sun shines till 8 o’clock at night.

“Empty Bottles” is even more laidback. Johnson plays a descending slide guitar lick, as John Jeffrey slowly drums along. The sound and effect recall what Dean Wareham and co. were doing on Lunapark, Luna’s first album from 1992. But the outro jam also recalls what Wilco were doing circa 2007 with Sky Blue Sky.

Clearly not satisfied with simply aping The Dead, Johnson instead weaves all of his influences into a musical tapestry. This is record collector music for indie kids who came of age in the 1990s and 2000s. But it also has great potential to appeal to their elders.

The albums’ centerpieces are the extended jams of “Wee Hours >” which – as bootleg collecting Deadheads will know by the “>” – transitions into epic closer “Wildflowers.” The two tracks add up to 11 minutes, roughly a quarter of the album.

A steady drumbeat, and tight ascending rhythm guitars allow for plenty of fretboard fireworks from Johnson, as the tracks speed past the five-minute-mark. It’s easy to imagine these tracks being played to a blissed-out crowd on the summer festival circuit.

But perhaps “Floating Out” is the melodic highlight of the album. Dreamy droning guitars surround Johnson’s vocals, evoking the feeling of both Luna and Spiritualized. The slow drums add to the ambiance and give the composition a great sense of space – as well as feeling like it is floating in space.

However – at the risk of invalidating my entire review – in depth analysis is almost counterintuitive to music like this. It is better to zone out and let the jams run from. Thus, I can only say that Ripley Johnson’s forays into Grateful Dead-influenced rock were a rousing success, and a highlight of his own legendary career.

Thrill Jockey/2020