Quiet Violence
Quiet Violence
表演者: Arab Strap
专辑类型: EP
介质: CD
发行时间: 2002-04
出版者: Matador
专辑简介
I feel guilty about writing and then publishing a review for a CD EP that was only available at three shows in the United Kingdom and is going for ridiculous amounts of money on eBay. Despite this fact, I'm completely compelled to explain how completely and positively Arab Strap has crafted an almost-perfect 22 minutes of music. I'll go ahead and write but issue this caveat — if you have no intention of trying to track this disc down online or through a trade with someone, reading this review might be frustrating. However, if you are even a passing fan of Arab Strap want to get your appetite whetted, read on.
The story behind this CD is pretty brief. The band decided to assemble a series of three acoustic shows a little earlier this year. The gigs were set in unusual venues for the band's typical tales of debauchery and poor relationships, such as cathedrals, and were played before small audiences. The band recorded and pressed an acoustic "mini-album" which would be given out to all in attendance. I think somewhere around 1000 copies were pressed, and the band has refused to offer any copies for sale through their website or the Chemikal Underground site. The disc has caused a bit of a stir among some members of the band's fanbase with the most frequent complaint being that the disc effectively had no distribution to those unable to attend the shows. This commotion has ended up pulling the attention away from the music at hand.
Especially playing on the heels of the band's most recent electric-driven output on Matador, 2001's The Red Thread, the disc's acoustic recordings are quite distant from the norm. Over six songs — a cover, three previously-recorded numbers, and two new songs — the due manages to create a complete and enveloping mood unlike that which they have ever done before. While it's true that no Arab Strap recording could be completely acoustic, there is a programmed drum beat present in some tracks remind you of the band's roots, the main difference comes from Malcolm Middleton's acoustic guitar work and the guest work of two string players. This difference is immediately recognizable on the first track, "Who Named the Days?" Delicate and poignant, the interplay of Middleton's guitar and Aidan Moffet's focused vocals creates possibly one of the band's greatest recordings to date. This track alone demonstrates the heightened emotional impact that this different recording approach can produce. "Pulled" follows and continues as a sort of object lesson in restraint. The first recorded version of this song was a bombastic, very electric, and simply loud tune. Stripped down to its version here, the song is a haunting affair of precisely picked guitar and eerie strings. A night and day difference, and one that helps reveal more of the song's theme.
The light, jingling bells that occupy the background of "To All a Good Night" sound exactly how any song set on Christmas Eve should. While I don't have a frame of reference for comparison (this song originally appeared on another limited edition CD, one given out at a Christmas gig in the UK), this track is quite effective, especially within the framework of this release. It is followed by "The First Time You're Unfaithful," originally from Philophobia. Despite how strong that album is as a whole, the last few have always struck me as a bit of a let down. The Quiet Violence version brings Moffat's vocals to the forefront and makes the listener focus on the words — a far cry from the almost muted vocals on the original. Needless to say, this version is far superior. "Loch Leven" is the disc's other new song. Rooted in a sing-song-ish and European folk song fashion, accordions and strings provide the background for an excursion into the tale of a hard, hard rain during which people try to get together romantically. It is perfectly capped by its brevity. Finally, what would an Arab Strap release be without a song detailing a wonderfully dysfunctional relationship? In title alone, "We Don't Make Each Other Laugh Anymore," lets you that your needs have been heard and addressed.
So there you have it. Over the course of a little over 22 minutes Arab Strap has made a very clear and concise statement that ranks up there as one of the band's best releases. The overall sound is very new and fresh — it's a different thing than the past, yet familiar. If you're a fan you need to seriously start looking for a way to get your hands on a copy. It's that good.
曲目
1 Who Named The Days? 4:21
2 Pulled 7:23
3 To All A Good Night
4 The First Time You're Unfaithful 5:38 5 5 Loch Leven 3:17
6 We Don't Make Each Other Laugh Anymore