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New territory for Merchant on .Motherland

LINDSAY O'CONNOR contriuting writer

This former 10,000 Maniacs frontwoman has more than proven that she shines most brightly by herself, away from the mania. She will be touring until the end of the year and has been making many television appearances to support her third solo studio effort. Motherland begins with the dark "This House is on Fire," as the first line rings emphatically across the rest of the song. The title track follows, a highlight of the record with its soft, swe t sound. "Saint Judas" recalls the horrors of Southern racism, and "Put the Law on You" is a rich, earthy, Fiona Apple- flavored love song. "Colden Boy" ha, a soft acoustic sound that masks some odd lyrical imagery, and the strange mix makes for one of the best tracks on the album. The better part of an orches- tra enhances "Henry Darger," a track similar to one of Tori Amos's short songlettes on Boys For P le; it makes little sense, but is nonetheless a welcomed addition to a chill, melodic CD. "The Worst Thing" ends in Spanish lyrics and "Just an't Last" i one of the album's mo t musically upbeat tracks though, as the title suggests, its lyrics do not fit the happy tun . "Not in this Lif " is a self-affirmation that "Never again, nev r on your life, will I make that same mistak ."The dark, cocktail-lounge swoone, "I'm Not Gonna Beg" concludes the CD nicely. Motherland has a darker sound, at times, than we've come to expect from Merchant: there is noth- ing "Kind and Generous" here. Motherland enters some new territory for Merchant; it lacks the catch- FILE PHOTO iness and upbeat sounds of Tigerlily and Ophelia, but compensates with blue y rock that would make She's a manioc, manioc, no morel Janis proud. The Avalanches don't fall flat Novocaine makes the JOHN ZEISS was built around while also for shadowing the horse • senior staff writer whinnies that later come to full fruition on "Frontier pain go away You know this sound. It's the sound of every party Psychiatri t." Everything is connected. Ev rything i you've ever been to. It's the sound that only comes to one big party. you in snippets as you move from conversation to con- A kitschy opening like that of Beck's "Th N w Pol CONAN MAGEE versation. It's the ound blaring from the boom box as lution" starts "Two H arts in Time," which goes on to staff writer you go to the fridge to get another beer, or decide to drop become something Stereolab might do in a lighter moment. The soundtrack to Steve a line on that cute blonde. But until now, you haven't "Flight Tonight" is th closest Th Avalanches come to Martin's latest film, Novocai11e, is realized how interesting this sound can be. Put down the big beat of dan e acts like Fatboy Slim. And ab au an ('clectic mix of chill tunes and the brewskie and ignore the blonde. The Avalanche's tiful, lazy ddy keyboard line floats in .rnd out of "Close nervous instrumentals. new album, Since I Left You, refuses to be background to You" and "Diners Only." Ultimately, I find myst•lf wishing music. The party slows down a tad toward the middle on the mix were weighted mon• A traditional review of Since I Left You, that discuss- "Tonight' and "Pablo's ruise." But that only scrv •s to toward the chill tunes. The score es what this song succeeds at or what this one fails to set things up for the utter insanity of 'Frontier Psychi, - is good, though, sporting a few do, i difficult. The album i n't as much a collection of trist," which attempts to cram as many samples as the numb rs by Tim Burton's favorite separate songs as it i one huge sound collage, a post Beastie Boys packed into all of Paul's Boutique into on' modern pastiche of the ·ample-heavy ounds of Hand- song. Just one of these is a scratchl'd up sample of a par- composer, Danny Elfman. Ev n some Boy Modeling School and DJ Shadow, the cheesy rot talking that sounds like The Roots' Rahzcl cxlr me- the instrumentals not by Elfman retro pop of Tahiti 80 and Call and Response, and el - ly drunk. Finally things come full ircle on "Extra Kings" hold lo his typical c rie style. ments of disco, electronica and hip-hop. Although the with anoth r" inc I L ft You" sample. Two jazzy Fren h tracks and the album is divided into 18 songs, track division' just don't If there's one thing wrong with The Avalan hes' music W' •zer-esque title track book •nd exist, as each tune flow seamles ly into the next and it's that at times it tri s to do too many things at once, the scor ', making p rfcct motif and idea bounce throughout th record. none of which end up b ing v ry interesting. Such is th background music for a relaxing The title track start things off in disolicious fashion. cas on songs like" ·toh" and" umm r rane." afternoon of doing nothing much It leads directly into "Stay Another Season," which sam- Toward th end of "Frontier Psy hiatrist," th r 's a at all. ples the fantastically fun funny sampl of a mother asking her kid if he an think bass line of Madonna's of anything else that can talk, other than a person. When "Holiday" (which will the kids, ys, "a re ord," a happy little guit.n lin jumps show up again much into th' mix, and the short moment pt•rfectly l'ncapsu- later on "Little Jour- latcs the entir •album: It's .tll about th• joy of musi . The ney"). The song still Avalanches,,\ band from the J,rnd down under, mak' loops th' vocal sample music as bright .1nd fun as a shirnnwring summ •r Aussie that "Since I Left You" , fternoon.

16 12.07.01 reviews