Customer Reviews

Long Knives Drawn

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you picked up previous Rainer Maria albums for Kyle Fischer's poetic dissertations coupled with the sweetness of Caithlin de Marrais' voice, then you may be taken aback by the way the new album rocks. After all, Kyle and Bill Kuehn started in the punk group Ezra Pound. Why shouldn't they rock out once in a while? For those who crave the acoustic poetry, I would suggest picking up Kyle's solo album, "Open Ground," that came out last year.

The group is obviously going for a much larger audience with the new album and falls more into the emo category than punk. For those who associate emo these days with leprosy, you've already made up your mind about this album. But what sets this album apart from the rest of the genre is Caithlin's voice. Her singing cuts through these songs like ginsus -- the poetess as rocker. And, truthfully, I didn't realize the group could rock like this. It's emo, but its damn good emo. If people didn't know this was Rainer Maria, they might be flocking to this album, hailing them as the next big thing.

The guitars crunch and the drums blast and the hooks are sharp. If you're skeptical, you may want to pick up the "Ears Ring" EP that came out right before this album before laying your dough down for the whole album. You'd also get two songs that aren't on the album. It's a nice companion piece. And for those who might miss the sweet slowdown of previous albums, there's the beautiful "Situation Relation" that closes this one.

What the poets may have lost, the rest of us have gained.

"Oh, you're wicked / You look so wicked!"

With this declaration of independence in the album's opening track, "Mystery and Misery," Rainer Maria has been reborn. No more meandering songs about the contents of Lincoln's pockets. No more fake love songs. "Long Knives Drawn" is 9 songs and 35 and a half minutes of some of the most brutally honest and intensely emotional music you will hear in 2003.

The previously mentioned opener, "Mystery and Misery" continues the band's tradition of having absolutely killer opening tracks. Coming up second is "Long Knives," quite possibly the most sinister song the band's ever written musically. The guitar/bass interplay coupled with singer Caithlin's newly powerful vocals sends shivers up my spine. "Let's get over each other / so that we can fall in love again / Won't you hold me?" Does it get much more raw than that? Doubtful.

"Ears Ring" follows, keeping the intensity of the album at a maximum. I've loved this song since it's prior release on the "Ears Ring" EP, and it still shreds. Guitarist Kyle sounds like he's beating his guitar into a bloody pulp on this song, taking out the same aggressions that Caithlin is releasing via her impassioned vocals.

"The Double Life" gives the album a slight break, being a bit slower than it's predecessors, and a bit more mellow as well, at least during the verses. I still find myself hanging on every word Caithlin utters, wanting to know how these four minute glimpses into her life turn out. A happy ending never seems to be in the cards, with lines like "I wasn't paying attention / and you quietly reeled me in again / it's just business as usual."

The album continues with "The Awful Truth Of Loving," a relapse into the band's more sweetly melodic sound contained on their "Look Now, Look Again" LP. Even though it sounds familiar, Caithlin's vocals make the song into what it is - her voice has matured greatly since 2001's "A Better Version Of Me."

Continuing at a medium pace is "The Imperatives," powered by drummer Bill's propulsive drumming and a mixture of Kyle and Caithlin's dissonant guitar and bass parts. The listener gets awashed with sound through the choruses, as Caithlin screams "Let's get out!" repeatedly.

The album reaches it's 2/3rds point with "Floors," another sinister-sounding song that builds up sonically until the chorus when the band really opens up instrumentally and vocally. The bass sounds as heavy as ever, and it grooves impeccably.

"CT Catholic" and "Situation: Relation" tie up the album's loose ends with an equal mixture of loud and soft. The former finally lets Kyle sing along with Caithlin, putting a unique perspective on the vocals. It's one of the poppier and happier songs on the album, and it's a fine reprieve from the pain of the other tracks. "Situation: Relation" brings the album to a close with a simple guitar and voice ballad, allowing memories of the opening track of "Look Now Look Again" to flood my memories. Caithlin's voice finally seems tired from belting out the previous eight tracks, and as her strong alto tamber begins to waver and fade, the album ends. A stunning closer to an absolutely fantastic album.

Oh yeah, the artwork is really, really gorgeous, too. It conveys the desparation contained within the CD accurately. All I could ask for are lyrics, but I'm not registering any complaints over here.

The Rainer Maria you once knew is dead. In it's place are a trio of musicians who have rediscovered themselves through this collection of songs. I can say with assurance that this will be in my Top 10 of 2003 list - this is the first notable release of 2003 for me, and is worth as much praise as I can muster for it.

If you picked up previous Rainer Maria albums for Kyle Fischer's poetic dissertations coupled with the sweetness of Caithlin de Marrais' voice, then you may be taken aback by the way the new album rocks. After all, Kyle and Bill Kuehn started in the punk group Ezra Pound. Why shouldn't they rock out once in a while? For those who crave the acoustic poetry, I would suggest picking up Kyle's solo album, "Open Ground," that came out last year.

The group is obviously going for a much larger audience with the new album and falls more into the emo category than punk. For those who associate emo these days with leprosy, you've already made up your mind about this album. But what sets this album apart from the rest of the genre is Caithlin's voice. Her singing cuts through these songs like ginsus -- the poetess as rocker. And, truthfully, I didn't realize the group could rock like this. It's emo, but its damn good emo. If people didn't know this was Rainer Maria, they might be flocking to this album, hailing them as the next big thing.

The guitars crunch and the drums blast and the hooks are sharp. If you're skeptical, you may want to pick up the "Ears Ring" EP that came out right before this album before laying your dough down for the whole disk. You'd also get two songs that aren't on the album. It's a nice companion piece. And for those who might miss the sweet slowdown of the group's previous works, there's the beautiful "Situation Relation" that closes this one.

What the poets may have lost, the rest of us have gained.

I have been a Rainer Maria fan for about a year now, owning Look Now Look Again, A Better Version of Me, and now Long Knives Drawn, and I must say that Long Knives Drawn may be their best one to date. Although their previous two have their moments of absolute genius (Feeling Neglected from Look Again steals the show, and I'll challenge anyone to find a better song than Artificial Light), I have to admit that there are also places where I skip to the next song. Purely lyrical songwriting is all well and good, but at the same time you have to realize that the listener can only take so much. Long Knives Drawn offers everything possible in the way of a solid mix of intelligent lyrics and catchy songwriting. It starts with the pounding rhythms of Mystery and Mysery (a shift hinted at with Hell and High Water, the final track of Better Version), and the energy doesn't let up until the final track ends. For those of you who want the old Rainer Maria of Rise and The Contents of Lincoln's Pockets, Long Knives Drawn offers Situation: Relation and The Awful Truth of Loving, possibly the best song about emo angst and getting fed up with getting burned. I would give this album five stars, but it has to be absolutely perfect in order to receive a perfect rating, and if this album has one weakness it is too short. I would like to have one or two more tracks than the nine offered, but it is still a very good buy. A must have for Rainer Maria fans.

Great title, great artwork, great songs. I bought it two weeks ago and it hasn't been far from my CD player since. These are tunes that will stay with you and you'll find yourself humming in the shower. Very infectious. "Ears Ring" is one of the best songs of the year.

I've read the other reviews of this album on this site and I disagree with the negative comments. I also enjoy RM's other albums, but I think this is the best one to date. Why are people so critical of bands wanting to make their music more commercially successful? I think this album is a step in that direction. It's pointless to endlessly compare this album to their previous releases. RM is getting BETTER, people! The lyrics are profound, the music is tight, and it is well-produced. Why do "indie" music fans get offended if an album doesn't sound like it was recorded in a garage? GET REAL and get this album.

This album is impressive. I've been listening to this band since 1998 or 1999 or so, and since then, they've progressed from something purely raw and angst-ridden into something wonderfully amazing. Each and every song seems so simple yet so catchy and you can truly emphathize with what lead singer Caithlyn De Marrais is putting into words. Having said that, it is not a slow album, either. A lot of these tunes straight up rock and Kyle's unique guitar style keeps everything sounding so fresh to the ears. This band used to be a male-female-duet-vocals type band but now its mainly Cait's job to sing. I think this leaves kyle free to really get into the guitar parts and if this album is any indicaiton of that, it is a great step forward. As a matter of fact, your ears will be ringing from the amount of time you spend listening to this album. Buy it! My favorite track is "floors," although many others like "ears ring" or "ct catholic." If you have a taste for good, fresh sounding, catchy rock, throw this in your cd player and give it a listen.

Oh, and I guess it's almost tradition to compare new albums to the one previously released by the band. In that case, I would say that although "A better version of me" was a great album, "Long Knives Drawn" represents a step forward from that one and as a result I would rate it higher. Rainer Maria is a name that I think we will be hearing more and more in the coming months.

I confess I'm not as familiar with Rainer Maria as some of the other reviewers, but I think this record is better than anything of theirs I've heard before. Not a single song fails to rock, and the incredibly shrill delivery of incredibly jejune lyrics that marred some of the older material seems to be a thing of the past. "Long Knives Drawn" is independent rock 'n' roll at its finest.

(Sentimentalist Review)

From the title and artwork, I expected a sound like Tori Amos on her angriest day. Let's not dwell on my ignorance. Rainer Maria's fourth outing offers solid garage rock with coherent stories. Once you've worked up a sweat, "Situation: Relation" is a gentle and disarming finale. Kyle Fischer (guitar) and William Kuehn (drums) lay down a rock platform ideal for fans of Soundgarden and Foo Fighters. Caithlin De Marrais wrestles with love and self-worth loudly and on key. (A redhead who plays bass - what more do you people WANT?) If you like Avril Lavigne, you'll probably like this more. It's a rare blessing to hear a band reach beyond just-do-the-chorus-again rhyme to tell stories that make emotional sense. The narrative strength is no accident; De Marrais and Fischer met through a poetry workshop at the University of Wisconsin. Put on your mosh boots and your thinking cap.

I've been a fan of Rainer Maria's work for a long time. The raw power of kat and kyle is what makes this band amazing. Long Knives falls flat when put next any other Rainer Maria album, especially Look Now Again. If you are looking for cliche, for terrible lyricism, and for ridiculous over-production of mediocre songs, then by all means buy this album. The heart of Rainer Maria appears to have been lost. Put this album down, pick up a copy of the Pixies "doolittle" and you'll be alot happier.