Nerd Rock & Other Emasculating Ways to Show You're a Man
Chicago Deep Dish
"I'm NOT leaving!", the quasi-homeless woman blurted, the woman you envision having Hansel and Gretel for dinner, along with an evil, piercing stare that telepathically but almost audibly said "FUCK OFF". This was today's oh-so-warm Chicago greeting at Starbucks, whilst looking for a seat, odd looking venti latte in hand to contemplate my first Deep Dish piece for Musex - Death Cab for Cutie's new effort: Codes and Keys.
DCFC's new album picks up right where 2009's ridiculously brilliant Narrow Stairs left off. If you haven't devoured that one yet, you're in for a treat. Ben Gibbard continues his beautiful writing, though this one is perhaps inspired by his recently publicized divorce from Ms. Zooey Deschanel. Those of you familiar with Gibbard's work will recognize his fastidious attention to detail: multi-layered, ultra-complex musical soft wool weavings of intricate patterns even your grandma would wear in the winter - soft blankets of music for your soul, indeed. In true DCFC styling, the album re-introduces a minimalist approach that amalgamates staccato-ish mathematical percussion with soft vocal whispers courtesy of Benny. As I learned first-hand in 2009, DCFC sounds amazing through headphones but live their sound often feels empty and really struggles to fill the space, albeit in smaller venues here in Chicago.
Remember when the eponymous track of an album actually meant something? When it actually lived up to its top billing as a title track? How you actually looked forward to reaching it when it was buried in the tracklisting? Hey, in prepubescent times Shout at the Devil was cool; The Last in Line was cool; shit, The Wall was really, really cool, especially at the return to coda. Here, the old timeless truism applies as well as any other.
We'll define bubble gum, tier one tracks as those which are so hook-filled that they're instantly likeable and most likely to be released as singles. The Black Crowes' She Talks to Angels would be an example (quick, what's another track on that album?...thought so!). On this one they include: Codes and Keys, Tourist and Monday Morning (that's 2, 5 and 7 for you cheaters...does anyone really know song titles anymore?). Trust me: start here. Tier one songs are the flagstone pathway that transition you from the warm outdoor pool area to the freezing cold living room, right? Predictably, after time and out of sheer laziness to move your weary finger to the fast forward non-tactile button of your current music device, the deeper cuts from the esoteric depths where sonic gems reside, will and do come to life. Tier two gives that life to some of these and is home to cuts like: Home is a Fire, Doors Unlocked and Open, St. Peter's Cathedral and the positive attitude-inducing-you-may-say-hi-to-a-complete-stranger-give-money-to-a-homeless-guy: Stay Young, Go Dancing - come here after tier one, keep trusting.
Then there's (drum roll, please...) tier three: the holy grail of musical appreciation. It is a level reached by few, if at all. It is reserved for true fans, music nerds, for the dead-rock boys as Billy Corgan would put it in Here is No Why. It is akin to reaching self-actualization in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. If you've ever been stuck on an album for weeks at a time, you may have been at TT. At this level is where the arguments take place between audiophiles, bilateral banter as to why this track is better than that and what musical references and influences touch on them. This is the world of nuances and ideosyncrasies. Tier three is extremely subjective and may even include pieces from other tiers. In this album's case and for me it would be a song like Unobstructed Views - your mileage may vary, trust yourself.
Gibbard and crew have done it again in effortless nerd fashion; another must-have. Benny Ben is an astute writer, intelligent and quite adept at the all too elusive musical climax. Think about the crazy build-up in I Will Possess Your Heart - where you can almost hear the climax before it happens - like when you're salivating on your way home from a workout dreaming of all the shit you're about to eat like the animal you are - like that scene from Midnight Express put in audible format. He repeats that successful formula in several tracks including Unobstructed Views, where it it's a whopping 4:30 until the song opens up. Go grab, er, download or Spotify this one & enjoy on me.
At this point, the evil stare lady finally got up to leave, but she actually made it a point to look over my way to bless me with a last wicked snarled-tooth sneer. Why is she so upset? Is needing a seat punishable by death stare? Can someone please wipey her chair and ottoman, please? I give her an apologetic fake-smile and finish my beverage with an audible slurp through this coffee-stained Solo brand cup top and head out onto snow covered sidewalks, Ben's voice re-assuring me that everything will be alright.
