Rob Crow - He Thinks He's People

Just picked this up in LP form recently from Temporary Residence Limited. The label is doing the very cool "buy this LP and get a code to download the mp3 version of this album" thing, which I jumped on. Rob Crow is one half of the band Pinback and also a member of a number of side project bands (as they may be categorized): Thingy, Heavy Vegetable, and of course his own solo albums. I reviewed one of his previous albums, My Room is a Mess about a year ago, and have to say that that album released in 2003, and his following album Living Well released in 2007 get regular play in my listening rotation. He Thinks He's People follows well from Living Well, but furthers his indie pop sound. It's amazing in a away how so many others who seriously attempt to pull off this genre lose focus of the simple yet key elements of a well written, catchy song. With Crow, it's album after album of wonderfully quirky yet catchy and effortlessly delivered music gold, masqueraded within indie pop simpleness. It's beyond needing to be noted how easily he makes it look, yet it's like he's got a patent on this stuff, as I struggle to think of someone who's been as consistently solid.

Surprising as it may be after I just spattered out this praise for the man, I actually didn't enjoy this album as much in the first listen. It was good, but I missed the hooks from the previous albums. Then it struck me as I was giving it a second listen....this happened to me before, with Living Well. And sure enough, after giving this album a second and then a third listen, and on and on, I'm here absorbed in the music thinking forward to the next time I'll get to listen to it in my car on the way to work, or my ipod while taking a walk outside trying to enjoy the last decently warm days in Cleveland this time of year. I think my initial difficulty with this album was caused by only providing it a cursory first listen. It dawns on me now, how the little details within Crow's songs on this album aren't accidental elements or afterthoughts added for flare in post-production. Whether it's the woodblock claps (closest way to explain the sound I can think of) in "Prepare To Be Mined" or the quirky lyrics of "So Way", they go on to provide definition and individuality to each song. The songs are concise with no song reaching the four minute mark. The instruments chosen on this album seem to mostly be of the guitar, keyboard/synth, and drums variety, and of course Crow's voice, which is as much of the enjoyment as any other part of the album. Production is solid, without much in the way of mixing issues, maybe a lack of low end, but it's not really that noticeable.


Rob Crow - "Prepare To Be Mined"

Somewhere in the middle as far as tempo goes on this album, "Prepare To Be Mined" starts off innocent enough right up to the quirky guitar chord transition around the 00:25 mark. Then things shoot off on one of the many catchy chorus sections within this album, as the pace of the guitar picks up (and those woodblock sounding claps accentuate effectively) I find myself toe-tapping along. The layered vocals are perfectly used here, just the right depth and added at the right times to further accentuate and increase the warmth of the chorus' delivery.


Rob Crow - "I'd Like To Be There"

The absolute "poppiest" song on the album. A gem of juxtaposition, really. The lyrics are the real gold mine here, as amongst this sunny guitar driven jaunt, Crow has paired the following lyrics:

Some people talk on the phone at the movie theatre. 
That's right!
On the phone!
I can't believe it either!


When you're choking on your blood,
When they've stapled shut your tongue,
realized you couldn't trust no one,
When your body bag gets zipped shut,
I'd like to be there.

His musing on the how he'd like to be there when these people who talk on phones in movie theaters get what's coming to them (well maybe to an extreme for some people) is certainly something I can relate too. 

Go to Temporary Residence to find the CD or LP w/ mp3s download code. Also just announced, Pinback will be touring Europe, though I couldn't find any details just yet, I'm sure they'll have something on their website about it.

Rob Crow - My Room is a Mess

My Room is a Mess arrived in 2003. Crow had a few previous releases, but this one stands out the most to me and I have been giving it continuous play of late. Crow is one part of the duo that is known as Pinback. I reviewed one of their EPs a few months ago, Arrive Having Eaten. In comparing Crow's solo work to that of his partner in Pinback, Armistead Burwell Smith IV whose own solo project, System's Officer, is worth a good listen, Crow's work stands out as being more varied, looser, and less formulaic. Crow's voice and strong song writing carriers this album to much more than what would normally be expected from a solo release. There is a lightheartedness in the lyrics and even within the songs themselves (sound effects from this old Casio Rap Master keyboard that I remember having when I was a kid show up out of nowhere during "Iocane"). Pay specific attention to the layering of vocals and guitar, as the mixing is another strong suit of the album. Songs are fairly short and straightforward, with wonderfully written guitar parts and progressions.


Rob Crow - "Beyond Him"

Crow's smooth vocals blanket this song from beginning to end. The cleanness of the guitar is the other thing that stands out. Initial lyrics are drawn out over clean picking on guitar. Then the next shift is keyed by a little guitar hook that is used often in the song when shifting parts and used excellently towards the end of the song, appearing in layers and sharp quick changes. The vocals change briefly in the middle of the song, and layered as well. The guitar hook mentioned just before appears here, and is followed by a return to the chorus part from the beginning of the song that closes it out.


Rob Crow - "Over the Summer"

The longest song on the album at 3:39. Possibly the catchiest songwriting on the album as well. The guitar progressions on each section are attention grabbers. The vocals, as usual, are sung beautifully over the music. The basic drum track in the background is steady and fits in simple support. There is a break near the middle of the song, where guitar is slowly built while vocals become a little harsher and direct. This changes back into the chorus, which washes over in warm smooth waves.

This album is fairly easy to find online for purchase at Amazon.com in CD form or mp3. He has also released another solo album since this release. Living Well came out 2007 and is available on Temporary Resistance Records on CD and LP. It is also chock full of Rob's eccentric yet endearingly warm songwriting style.

Pinback - Arrive Having Eaten EP

San Diego, California's Pinback have been known to offer special tour released EPs over their career. Arrive Having Eaten was one of these EPs and it happened to be released during a 2003 tour. Pinback started out back in 1998 as a collaborative effort Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow. I've mentioned Smith before in a previous post on another of his bands, Three Mile Pilot. Pinback had released their second full length album, Blue Screen Life in 2001 and one of the songs, "Seville", appears on this album in a slightly different version. "Anti-Hu" (a fan favorite over the years) appears here as well in a variation from the original which appeared as a B-side on the 2001 CD single, Penelope. There are only four songs on Arrive Having Eaten, but I would support all four being good and certainly something Pinback fans should check out. Those not familiar can expect indie rock with a unique bass sound and very smooth vocals, the duo simply play well off of each both instrumentally and vocally.


Pinback - "Hohum"

Sometimes it can be a little difficult picking out the guitar from bass on certain songs as Smith's playing although unique in regards to the sound he pulls from his bass guitar, is all over the fret board map at times. "Hohum" starts out with what sounds like both guitar and bass playing through each other as both Crow and Smith do wonderfully, and some simple drums setting a moderate beat. High-hat is opened during the vocal parts adding emphasis initially. Catch that little piano/keyboard break at about 0:43 in the song? Its a nice little preview for a return around the 1:37 mark were it acts to bring some charisma on top of a rolling guitar and drum part. The song is increasingly catchy at this point as the following lyrics are sung:

you forget I'm awake
I forget I'm awake
you forget I'm awake
I forget I'm awake

There is a break away from the drums that occurs before the final portion of the song. My favorite moment on the whole EP (though the intro to "Seville" is close second) is this little ending piece, both for the lyrics, "I want to breathe in blue", and the songwriting. It emotes elements of a rough seriousness yet also a softened exasperation.

You can find all of Pinback's available releases at their website and website store. I was lucky enough to catch them playing here in Cleveland about a year and half ago and I have to say their shows do not disappoint. They have a west coast tour planned for July, you can see the dates listed here at their myspace page.

Three Mile Pilot - Chief Assassin To The Sinister

Three Mile Pilot is an indie rock band from San Deigo, California with the principal members being Armistead Burwell Smith IV (aka Zach Smith from Pinback) and Pall Jenkins (The Black Heart Procession), with Tom Zinser on drums. Because of the success of their other bands, Three Mile Pilot has rarely played out much, much less recorded much since 1999, although they have released a couple songs on a 7" this past year and have supposedly finished a new album to be released sometime this year. Chief Assassin To The Sinister was originally released on Cargo/Headhunter Records in 2004, then re-released in Three Mile Pilot's short major label stint on Geffen in 2005 with the inclusion of one more song entitled "Inner Bishop" (which I have not heard yet, but have read is very good). This review is of the 2004 release on Cargo/Headhunter Records.


Three Mile Pilot - "Shang Vs. Hanger"

Three Mile Pilot have been known to incorporate diverse instrumentation in support of the primary instruments of the band (guitar, drums, bass). Here we hear bagpipes along with a beat consisting of bass plucks and soft guitar. Drums start building with vocals and bagpipes...untill Smith's distinct bass play leads into the chorus. It's Smith's bass work and Jenkins' strained vocals that really attracts me to Three Mile Pilot's sound. I also believe the songwriting is fairly strong and though exploratory in regards to sounds, does not stray from good builds, chorus, and overall composition. "Shang Vs. Hanger" breaks down into two almost symmetrical halves, with a lull in the middle, not uncommon within other songs they have written. This is as good of a song Three Mile Pilot has ever written. Here's a video of a live performance of this song at Touch & Go Records 25th Anniversary Festival.


Three Mile Pilot - "97-Mt"

Here we hear Smith on bass again, building up with the vocals right into one of the faster and more energetic songs on the album. Smith's constant slapping/playing heads straight into the eire soaring guitar solo by Jenkins, and distant vocal calls are heard out over a steady drum quarter-beats. There is calm before a returning to the soaring guitar and bass building again, back into cohesive playing, together like a gathering storm, before relenting into spoken word over bass and drums.

  
Chief Assassin Of The Sinister, being the band's second release and containing numerous good songs, remains my favorite of their albums. There's something very distinct and belonging to Three Mile Pilot that although I can listen to, enjoy and understand how one would choose either of the the band member's other bands (Pinback, The Black Heart Procession) as better bands or by personal taste, simply like either band more, I find myself returning to this band over and over again. The styles of all three of these bands are quite different, each with their own enthralling characteristics. I think there's an urgency within their sound that doesn't particularly show through regularly in either of the other bands. I'll point "Shang Vs. Hanger" as an example of this, both in the vocals and in the instrumental sound. Also, I just simply enjoy the sound Smith creates on bass.