Big Business, “Mind the Drift”: Heavy stuff. Strangely, though, it feels more loud than substantial (see track 4, “I Got it Online”). But “The Drift” is pretty hard-rocking good; the whole album, which consists of more distortion and yelling than songwriting, is something of a disappointment. Doesn’t add much, if anything, to the genre.
Magnolia, “The Wooden Birds”: Light guitar with soft vocal harmonies not unlike Yo La Tengo’s. “Quit You Once” feels uncomfortably incomplete, and this album, too, is just lacking a bit of a punch; probably changing their musical voice a bit, as well as layering a bit more would help to flesh out and give the album a definite flow. Not a significant replay value to the album, though try the tracks “Never Know” and “Seven Seventeen.”
I despise when things feel like they’re unfinished. The ending to most Coen bros. movies upset me, the fact that Chaucer never finished his masterpiece irks me, and that bit at the end of Andre 3000’s “The Love Below” which drives me nuts (though there are certainly other things there that frustrate me). The two albums above feel like they needed more, kind of a purpose to them; not necessarily that they’re going to change the world, but something that the musicians believed in while they were making the music.
Most things are like that. Certainly art, sculpture, and writing benefit from that kind of direction, but even carpentry, cooking I’d venture, or a small business are more apt to succeed when you have a clear vision (though I’m still not sure how Home Depot envisions itself making the world a better place).
(I guess they do build playgrounds every now and then…)
I try to stop myself when I don’t know why I’m doing something I’m doing. It sounds stupid, but it helps, actually, even with something as mundane as laundry, and usually I can pick it back up again when I can see through to the end. It’s important a skill to have, knowing when you’re able to follow through with something and do it well.
Which is why I’ve decided to outsource this menial blog to Akrahm S’tolia in Bangladesh, India. It’s saved me almost $18 this week on CDs.