Sound Salvation Army

4. LaGrecia - On Parallels
There’s a touch of irony in the title of this record, as thematically and practically it is far more perpendicular to any of songwriter Jason Shevchuk’s previous high-profile bands. It’s the albums use of assertiveness to mask its conflicted sense of self that leaves the listener with a somewhat skewed feeling once the closing notes fade away; Shevchuk states explicitly on “In The Grass” that he’s trying something new to put the feeling back in his music, and he accomplishes that. But those intentions ring hollow once you learn that he broke up the group before the album even came out to reform his inferior previous band. That said, the songwriting is worth coming back to, regardless of the author’s mental state.

5. Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Of his four or so releases in 2008, none of John Darnielle’s albums held the resonance and gravitas of Heretic Pride. A return to character-based storytelling after a trope of incredibly personal work, Darnielle’s story-songs are rendered in technicolor, some of his most vivid and accomplished in a career marked by astounding songwriting. The metaphors are rich and engaging and the emotions genuine and affecting. Not only that, but the man who waited more than fifteen years before recording in a proper studio turns in one of the best-sounding albums since, “Kind of Blue.” On the quieter tracks you can practically hear the sound of each crevice of his fingertips brushing against the strings and the fragility in Darnielle’s voice is captured flawlessly. This album re-affirms my love for his abilities and I’m recommitting myself to buying every piece of music he releases.

6. Papermoons - New Tales
I recently got some amazing news from Aaron Danger, the proprietor or Team Science Records and official discoverer of Papermoons, one of my favourite tiny band discoveries of the last two years. Playing a delicate brand of indie rock/folk that can’t be accurately described by conventional musical tropes, these two men in their early 20’s have a melodic sophistication much more mature than their years. And I recently learned they’ll be touring Canada this spring. I for one can’t wait to see how they pull an album of such depth and layering off in a live setting and hopefully you can’t either.

LaGrecia is on iTunes and hard copies are put out by Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective.
Heretic Pride is everywhere, including iTunes and 4AD.
Papermoons loves iTunes and Team Science helps them out.

Pat entries acoustic, best ofs, indie rock, Jason Shevchuk, John Darnielle, LaGrecia, Papermoons, punk rock, the Mountain Goats

This is a serious contender for best album of the year.

I can’t say I ever really expected to make such a statement, at least not before actually laying hands on a copy of On Parallels. While some would argue there’s pedigree by the pound here, thanks to frontman/songwriter Jason Shevchuk’s involvement in (the awesome) Kid Dynamite and (the often bland) None More Black, I wasn’t biting. I just couldn’t get into most of the None More Black material, and by all reports it was going to be pretty much the complete opposite of Kid Dynamite so what was there to be excited about?

Well get psyched: this is one of the most well-written pop rock records of at least the last five years, hands down. The trick is that it might not seem too readily apparent because of the minimalism of the instrumentation and Shevchuk’s incredibly gruff, raw vocals (though on some tracks — especially “According To My Notes” and “Silently Just” — he manages to throw those out the window and inject some honest-to-goodness smooth, not-gravelly singing into the mix).

I think I’d liken this release to Jets To Brazil’s debut. Blake Schwarzenbach had broken up Jawbreaker prior to the release of Orange Rhyming Dictionary and made it everything he had been criticized for towards the end of that band’s career: slower, more cerebral straight-forward rock with better singing, more accessible hooks, and glossier production. While the production on On Parallels seems flat in some places, the rest of it is there in spades.

It also sees Shevchuk’s songwriting moving into territory he hasn’t explored before: horns and strings find their way into the mix, “Silently Just” features acoustic guitar, and “Two Shotguns” centers around a chord progression that is equal parts blues and punk rock. Both are equally stirring in very different ways and serve as polar examples of what this band is capable of.

I suppose I should say was capable of; the group officially disbanded several weeks before the album was even officially released, the result of the inter-band tension that frequently crops up when band members are also dating. But a tragic end to a project filled with promise also serves as a disconcerting backslide for the band’s principle songwriter, as Shevchuk has decided to put None More Black back together in LaGrecia’s wake. Hopefully he won’t be afraid to expand that band’s sonic palette in a similar fashion, as it would be a shame to put a damper on his emerging pop sensibilities.

 

 LaGrecia - According To My Notes [3:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 LaGrecia - Two Shotguns [2:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 LaGrecia - Silently, Just [4:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective is your exclusive purveyor of this album in all the best (physical) formats, available here. Suckers can try iTunes as well.

Pat entries Jason Shevchuk, LaGrecia, melodic rock, None More Black, orgcore, punk rock