When I'm on a road trip, I get this undeniable urge to listen to All-American music. We're talking CCR and we're talking Skynyrd and Tom Petty, and we're talking Violent Femmes and Pavement and Modest Mouse. Something about that western scenery.
Just like you can hear the British in an Ozzy or Kinks' record, you can hear the American in everything these bands put out. They exhibit varying levels of weirdness (basically they got weirder as time progressed), but they share a certain kind of melody writing, a certain kind of fuck-off fun. The All-American Club isn't very exclusive - that's part of its charm - but we can tell who's faking it, and the fakers are most definitely out. I want to extend a conditional invitation to Blitzen Trapper.
Blitzen Trapper will get their full privileges when they stop sounding like The [sucky] Shins. There, I said it. Look, sounding like The Shins doesn't even really work for The Shins. And for this band, which is more talented, more adventurous, and honestly more interesting, it's a step in the wrong direction. Wild Mountain Nation swings back and forth between the unfortunate Chutes Too Narrow region and the way more exciting pole of pop-era Pavement/country-era Beck.
I get the feeling Blitzen Trapper sounds like those good bands on purpose but The Shins on accident. It's not Blitzen Trapper's fault they have high, sweet voices, and it's not their fault that they love country-rock and careful harmonies. I get the impression that's just the way the good lord made them, so they get the benefit of the doubt. To their credit, the sound effects, distorted vocals, bizarre transitions, and seriously un-serious attitude sound totally intentional. These choices work. They work hard.
Luckily, The Shins moments - "Sci-Fi Kid," "The Green King Sings," and especially "Futures & Folly" - don't overpower the more entertaining tracks. Sure, listening to those three snooze-a-thons make me feel like I've been railing straight pancake syrup. But the rockers, like "Miss Spiritual Tramp," "Devil's A-Go-Go," and "Murder Babe," kind of rule. They're odd and fun and fuzzy and All-American. Finally, "Summer Town" and "Country Caravan" are actually pretty. They both choogle along, almost southern sounding.
So we'll see you in an album, Blitzen Trapper. Keep doing the fun thing. Wouldn't hurt to try sneaking out from under your influences. That said, I'll still (almost definitely) throw this in the Buick for my next road venture.
See also
Crooked Rain, Sissyneck, Oregon Forests, Idaho Mountains, Arizona Plains
