Customer Reviews

Imperial f.f.r.r. (Deluxe Edition)

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4 star:		(1)
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Imperial is the album in which Unrest found its voice. For several album that preceded Imperial, Unrest dabbled in arty punk, lowbrow experimenting, hardcore thrashing, pop melodies and whatever else seemed to capture their attention at the moment. Few acts ever successfully pull off that much eclecticism and Unrest was no exception. There may have been a few hints at what was to come, but Imperial largely dispensed with the noise and spontaneity, bringing exuberant minimalist melodies to the fore. On songs like "Suki" and "Cherry Cream On" the guitar is ablaze in strumming, taking cues from Big Flame, the early Wedding Present, or the New Zealand Flying Nun scene.

The songs are built on small repetitive melodies tastefully intertwining with male/female vocal duties. Frequently only two of the three instruments play at once, setting them apart from the maximum overload of much of what was trendy at the time (grunge, noise rock).

When this record came out it sharply divided the cognoscenti. While it had a strong contingent of supporters, others sneered at what seemed a watering down of indie ideals of the early 90s: rough edges, warts and dissonance. While many acts sought to sound organic and "real", Imperial was all artifice and glacial studio perfection, the artwork and production suggesting vintage Factory records. The innocent sounding vocal and ringing guitars "Cherry Cream On" will easily fool those not paying attention to its naughty undercurrent. And "June" is possibly the most darkly lovely song since the Chills etched "Pink Frost".

Years later it is clear that this record has stood up alongside 90's classics by My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, Stereolab, Nirvana, etc. Perfect Teeth built on this formula in a less minimalist and slightly less successful manner, and by the time of the Air Miami project it seemed as if their obsession with artifice has gone too far. But we'll always have Imperial and the great singles they put out around this time (some added on as bonus tracks for this reissue).

This is a beautiful album. Classic Unrest here. The songs are both happy and sad at the same time. I wish the band got a little more popular so more people could realize how good they are!

This music has a Joyous warm minimalist chunky/jangly guitar appeal. The songs are all stripped down and simple, but contain a style that was just slightly too cool to be "radio-friendly". 'Cherry Cream On', 'June' and 'Suki' are incredibly catchy and will be running through your mind all day after a listen. 'Champion Nines' in basically a funky bass line, a drum machine and what sounds like wind chimes that slowly turn into alarms. 'Sugarshack', 'Firecracker' and 'Electricco' are somewhat stripped down guitar based instrumentals. The extra tracks in the 2003 re-issue are kind of pointless, but somewhat interesting and worthy after you get used to them. Some great stuff on this album, I am really surprised you never see this on any "best of" or "most influential indie rock" lists.

This album truly does "beggar the imagination" -- you think, with each new track, with each 90° turn they make: "they aren't really going to GO there, are they?" -- but they do!

Only two songs ("Suki" & "Cherry Cream On") sound remotely alike. "Isabel" is a lovely, two-minute+ acoustic number that is unlike those two -- and unlike anything else on the album -- but is catchier, more uplifting, & inspiring than most "little ditties" of that length you'll come across elsewhere.

The title track manages to extend/reward one's "attention span" in a way that lesser artists can err at by making self-indulgence the keynote rather than ... what? "Melody"? "Narrative," even? "Imperial" begs these questions, as does the album as a whole.

WARNING: If you drive with this in your car stereo, you'll think you'll have to pull over. (I've done this! Other listeners may very well had the same experience, and know what I mean!)

Sonically, the production achievement-level is sort of ridiculous: every instrument sounds so crisp & clear, it would appear no note was struck without consideration of how it would land in the listener's ear (a simulation prioritization not seen the the heydays of Jimmy Page!). Somehow the guitars sound like they're being played right NEAR you ... not just in a "life performance" sort-of-way, and NOT with those annoying "squeaks" of hands shifting up the fretboard ... but with a sort of precision that, one imagines, Isabel Bishop brought to her paintings: painstaking & yet constantly in motion, never one nor the other.