I get the distinct impression that John Vanderslice might be a bit of a flake. But after spending some time with Pixel Revolt, I'm also starting to think that he's hit the nail of urban hipster-dom right on it's untidily coiffed head, and on the whole, it's made a pretty satisfying sound. The songs are a bit cynical, and a bit melancholic, but they don't reach too hard to find their lyrical and musical references to past decades and to cultural landmarks big and small. It's all very effortless and interesting, and periodically, the combined elements appear in proportions so perfect I can't even describe them. Then, there's that weird, vibraphone-thing in many of the songs on Pixel Revolt, that, at times, makes me feel like I'm on some kind of a soothing trip back that mellow, sad part of the 80's that I totally loved with all my heart.
Pixel Revolt has plenty of songs that are undeniably catchy, quirky and relevant. This last thing is particularly important to note in the context of the album, because there are those cases when John Vanderslice overshoots that mark by quite a distance, and all one can do is just throw the hands up in the air, and say "Huh?" But we aren't to that point just yet.
"Letter to the East Coast", "Plymouth Rock", and "Exodus Damage" are simply great songs to start off an album. Spirited and unique subdued acoustic arrangements, these songs all reference aspects of Western popular culture (read: 9/11, pre-'Mommy Dearest' Joan Crawford, gun shows, and Dance, Dance Revolution), and this is all achieved in an effortless fashion that appears totally natural amidst the loopy, fluid swirl of the music. Vanderslice and his musicians make use of cellos, boxharps, ebowed guitars, flutes and various other instruments to create genuinely pleasant sounding and unique songs which find roots and are normalized by these hyper specific lyrical references.
Sometimes things do get a bit weird, though. "Continuation" just sounds out of place with its skinny white-guy faux-mo-town vibe, and "Angela", wellââ¬Â¦ I can't sort out references to the loss of a chick's bunny rabbit and how this makes everyone around her analyze what freedom really means, and whether or not one should ever really invest their trust in anybody else. I gave up trying to figure out if JV was trying to make this super simple, or just so complicated it defies sense.
The real standouts, though, are "Radiant with Terror," and "Dear Sarah Shu." The former reinterprets to incredibly effective ends Robert Lowell's poem "Fall of 1961." Orchestral bells render this majestic like The Smashing Pumpkins' "Disarm." But better. For real.
And "Dear Sarah Shu" is a touching commentary on the kill-or-be-killed competitiveness rampant the 21st century. A really original effort, this song is wonderful, poppy and bittersweet, and leaves the listener with a lot of lingering subtleties to mull over.
To my mind, the album could have finished with the musical missive to Sarah Shu. The last four songs drag the album out on a strange limb that might be too personal or just plain wearing depending on how you're feeling when you hear them. It's not like they're un-listenable, but they are a bit, um, tepid. Overall though, the album constitutes a mellow and interesting listen.
