Giving me the creeps
For the last two years, Eric Solomon has wandered the United States like a punk rock equivalent of Richard Simmons. On a spiritual level, I mean, not in the sense that he wears sparkly spandex shorts and fails to respect the concept of personal space.
The creative force behind O Pioneers!!! has to be one of the most unfailingly positive people in the history of music. From the debut full-length through roughly eight singles and splits Solomon has been the punk scene’s biggest cheerleader. He’s written about the redemptive power of music and the community that comes along with it, he’s encouraged fans and others with a like mind not to conform to the perceived ideals of a scene or genre, to be themselves and seek their own goals and dreams, and he’s championed the ideals of independence and standing on ones own two feet. So why does it feel like he’s on the brink of implosion?
It’s downright hard to listen to the band’s soon-to-be-released LP Neon Creeps at times, especially after several years of Solomon’s band being gleeful, posi-core noisemakers. After replacing his entire band almost quarterly since it first formed he sounds like he’s tired of having to look for a new drummer every six months. Each track on this record reads like a Stuart Smalley affirmation gone wrong as he pleads with himself to find the strength to make it though another day of debt, depression, and overwhelming stress.
While the lyrical content is as honest and evocative as the band’s songs have ever been, there is a somewhat dramatic musical shift taking place on Neon Creeps as well. On every other release, Solomon’s guitar and vocals have been like heavy-grit sandpaper: incredibly abrasive at first, but masking a refined and well-crafted surface. Early songs were performed at breakneck speed, the guitar tones as rough as any out there, and his shouted lyrics showed quite clearly he had little to no idea how to sing. All that changes on this album. Solomon honest-to-god sings his heart out, for one. He’s far from Clay Aiken in terms of smoothness and tone, but he’s shown marked improvement in every way. The songs are noticeably more mid-tempo, taking on a more plaintive feel, almost relaxed and slow-jammy on a few tracks. The guitars sound worlds apart from the gnarly tones on the band’s 7″ split with Announcement from a few months back, much smoother and more muted, some tracks even dropping into clean tones. Solomon’s playing has also gotten a lot more sophisticated, with some genuinely clever guitar phrases finding their way into some tracks.
A new addition to the sound is the addition of some bass guitar parts. While a given in most bands, O Pioneers!!! have never had a long-term bass player, going the two-man route for the most part. It really helps to flesh out the songs, especially with the “bigness” of the guitar parts being slightly scaled down. It’s also indicative of the turbulent history of the band: a few months after the album was recorded the bass player was no more, relegated to the lengthy roster of former bandmates.
Here’s hoping Solomon works his way through what are clearly some troubling issues and comes out clear-headed on the other side. In the meantime the world has been given an album that, while occasionally difficult to listen to, holds true to the small legacy of flawless punk rock he’s formed in the last several years.
O Pioneers!!! - Stressing The Fuck Out [2:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download O Pioneers!!! - My Life As A Morrissey Song [0:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadAvailable merchandise can be purchased through the band’s webstore and on Asian Man Records’ website which has a pre-order for the CD version that includes a sticker, a patch, and a t-shirt all for $10. Kiss of Death is supposed to have the vinyl ready soon as well, I’m told. iTunes has the first album and almost certainly will have the new one soon.
