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 I love Annuals, but this one is lacking something... Apr 04, 2008
First of all, let me just say that Annuals are one of those rare bands that only come along once in a while. It's not a matter of "they could be something special", it's the fact that they just are... now. They make me excited about music at times when everything else sounds uninspiring to me. They're quickly reaching the top pedestal in my music collection next to the likes of Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Wilco, Interpol, Bright Eyes, etc. "Be He Me" was easily my favorite album of 2006 and, even as great as that album is, I probably listen to their other b-sides and demos even more (Frelen Mas, Lay Down Dry, Git' Got, Big Zeus). With that said, it pains me to give this band something as low as a 3 (3.5 would be more accurate, but can't go to 4 on this one). It's not the new songs that I'm having a hard time with on this one. "Sore" seems to be a great follow-up to the last album, and makes me even more excited for the next release. Even the Sunfold songs, "Between the Worlds" and "Watering Pail", are good, although they sound somewhat from out of left field next to their Annuals alter ego (Sunfold is a very '90's guitar rock sound with the potential to be something as good as Annuals, but it's just not quite there yet). What troubles me with this release are the two new versions of "Around Your Neck" and "Just Stay In". The original versions of these songs are much better in my opinion. "Around Your Neck" is on "Lay Down Dry" (good luck finding this one, but it's well worth it!) and "Just Stay In" is on "Lay Down Dry" and the "Git' Got EP". "Just Stay In" might be one of my favorite Annuals songs but the version on here seems to be stripped down too far and it lacks the teeth that the original version had. Same with "Around Your Neck", although I like the new break they added, this song has been stripped down too far and loses too much of the intensity that it originally had. For anyone who hasn't heard either of these songs yet, I would urge you to track down the original versions. What worries me most about this is that these 3 Annuals songs are a little taste of what new producer Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits) has been doing with the Annuals sound, and I'm not sure that I like it. It's almost as if he's making them grow up too fast. These songs lack the over-layering of sounds and the overall weirdness that makes Annuals so appealing. I'm hoping that these 2 remixes were just an attempt to fit these songs in better with the more orchestral and stripped-down "Sore", and not neccessarily an indication of what Jacquire is going to do with the overall Annuals sound. "Be He Me" is about as perfect as you can get from a producing/mixing/layering point of view. And I hope they don't try to veer too much from that formula, in an attempt to mature their sound.
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 The warmth around my heart Apr 01, 2008
Bands do a lot of weird stuff, but I don't think I've ever seen a band split an EP with... itself. Same band, but different lineup, see?
But that's what the Annuals are doing in the "Wet Zoo" EP, a lovely little collection split between them and their musical alter ego, Sunfold. Each band definitely has its own sound, and you could never mistake one for the other, but the epic guitarpop meshes well with the eccentric pop melodies and wistful balladry.
It opens with a gentle, folky guitar melody swathed in gentle bittersweet strings. And Adam Baker murmurs an exquisite little love song, "In sorest of times/got your thoughts on my mind... you look three states away/I squint through the sun/as you leave with the sparrows at dawn."
He gets a bit more agitated halfway through the song, calling out, "I never deserved you from the start/think you can let loose the walls around my heart" just as the song erupts into a glorious cacophony of aggressive violins, drums and guitars... only to droop back into a swirling orchestral ballad once more.
Somehow the EP never quite recovers from the brilliance of that song. But they do a pretty good job with "Around Your Neck," a devilishly wild rocker filled with chiming guitar. And after that, it's "Just Stay In," a poignant little string-laden ballad riddled with what sounds like harmonica.
And then it's time for the Sunfold songs -- more aggressive, more straightforward, less quirky, and quite heavy on the electric riffs. "Between the Worlds" is a blaze of sputtery, rather repetitive riffs -- it's pleasant, but not terribly memorable. That's reserved for the intense, tightly-woven "Watering Pail," which has the focused energy of a late train trying to make it on time.
Despite having the same lineup, Sunfold and the Annuals don't sound terribly similar -- one is all about the tight guitars and powerpop, while the other is more about eccentric art-rock and orchestral ballads. Nevertheless, you can hear their styles overlap at times -- "Around Your Neck" is more Sunfoldian, while "Watering Pail" has moments of Annualesque oddness.
And really, they're both pretty good -- Sunfold basically sounds like the Annuals embracing a more mainstream pop sound. So we have gentle acoustic guitars and muscular electric ones (as well as some singing, ringing ones), some truly outstanding percussion, and in the Annuals songs an undercurrent of bittersweet, shimmering strings.
Adam Baker and Kenny Florence both put out some good performances as well. Baker gravitates between wistful, melancholy croons and raucous blues-rock passion, while Florence's smooth voice takes on the drama. He doesn't sound quite right in "Between the Worlds," though -- he sounds awkward, as if he's not quite sure that his singing is on time or not.
Sunfold's straightforward powerpop is not quite as endearing as the pop oddity of the Annuals, but "Wet Zoo" is a good way to introduce us to the band's alter ego. Definitely a good listen.
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