Customer Reviews

The Battle of Electricity [Vinyl]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Their first album is so good...what happened? Why is there a weird deep-voiced guy singing on the second song? Why is a 10-song album padded out to 18 tracks with a bunch of untitled "link tracks?"

In all fairness, this is a fine and "mature" album from the scrappy bunch of ruffians who made their brilliant, shimmering debut. It sounds more like it should be their 7th album, though, than their second.

Like the first release from The Gerbils, "Are You Sleepy?", this album is incredible. Will Westbrook's guitar playing is genius. Scott Spillane's voice is wonderfully matched to the silly, happy lyrics. If you like other Elephant Six bands, you will absolutely love the Gerbils.

Don't expect it to top the grandeur of the first one. You didn't think it was possible did you? THe first is much better; however, this too is an album that massages your brain with the brilliant fingers of beautiful music. His voice is just so soulful and heart-wrenched it makes me want to cry because its what I feel inside. It goes nicely through the whole album after you listen to it a couple times. It gets better as you listen to it.

It's hard to believe that I am the first person to review this excellent musical recording. The Gerbils first release is like a cereal bowl full of cigarette lighters that when struck produce an amiable, purplish liquid that is an appropriate substitute to starch, and when applied to clothing makes those inappropriate wrinkles a thing of the past. Their second release reintroduces the wrinkles, puts a flame to that wooden-mitten of logic, and as a result, provides a blueprint for redemption. For this reason, I really recommend this recording to those who allow their thoughts to bloom within pillowcases and are fond of distant relatives who whistle exclusively abroad.

it may grow on me, and it already has to some degree, but i can already tell it won't have the staying power of their silly-but-brilliant debut, are you sleepy? the structure--a very close cousin to apples in stereo's _her wallpaper reverie_--works against it, i think, to some degree, and the accessible "hits" seem too few and far between.



as always, though, there's some nice keith moon-ish drumming, courtesy of jeremy barnes--sometime drummer for bright eyes and neutral milk hotel.