Amy Linton's music is so easy to love. A little noisy, a little sweet, a whole lot o'pop, It's never ever heavy, and it never drags on. Pure pop is what she knows, and pure pop is what she does, mixing all the sounds of the songs that she loves into one big bundle o' reverbed ear candy. How I Learned to Write Backwards is Aislers Set's most ambitious album to date, and we couldn't be any happier to hear it, either!
It may be a bit disingenious to describe it as "ambitious," though. Luckily for us, Linton's not really tampered with the award-winning Aislers Set formula too terribly much, because it really works well. Witness 2001's The Last Match, which mixed reverb bliss with girl-group goodness that sounds OH SO NICE in your ears and even nicer in your heart. I dare you to listen to that album and NOT walk away from it humming "The Red Door" for the rest of the day. The Last Match's major flaw came from the occasional switch to Wyatt Cusick on vocals. Don't get me wrong; Wyatt's a talented fellow (witness his band Track Star), but his songs sounded out of place.
Thankfully, How I Learned To Write Backwards is all Linton, all the time, and that one little switch has made all the difference in the world, for the Aislers Set have made a record that is vastly superior to everything else they've done. From the first tinkling bells of "Catherine Says," you know that you're in for a sweet treat. The la-la-la's and the sing-along moments are warm, inviting, and charming in their own special way. "Emotional Levy" slows things down, and though it's one of their more melancholy numbers, but you'll happily be clapping along with it, too, and its "Leader Of The Pack" meets "Be My Baby" beat will leave you longing for a milkshake to crush out over. There's more trumpet, too, for those that might have noticed its presence on their earlier songs. There's also a tinge of darker elements, a bit more melancholy this time around, and a few more interesting moments, such as the quiet, near-acapella "Unfinished Paintings," the interesting odd jazz moments of "The Train #1," and the mellow "Mission Bells."
See, that's the great thing about How I Learned to Write Backwards--innocent music that's much deeper than its cute nature will lead you to believe. You'll be so fooled by the 60s girl-group aesthetic that you'll not notice that they've thrown in some 70s post-punk (dig those Joy Division-like bass lines throughout), 80s indiepop, and 90s noise (such as the Henry's Dressesque noise of "The Train #2"). How I Learned to Write Backwards is the kind of record that could have only been made by obsessive music lovers. Instead of sounding like a stewpot of inspirations, Linton and crew really mix it up so that you don't really notice their influences. Instead, they're quickly becoming inspirational, and I have this distinct feeling that we're going to start seeing Aislers Set-inspired bands popping up left and right.
It may only be the first of the new year, but How I Learned To Write Backwards is clearly a contender for one of the best records of the year. Of course, such kudos aren't really surprising. This was the record that Linton's been threatening to make for years, yet it's exactly the same kind of record they've been making. It's a rare feat when a band can break new ground musically and yet never sound much different than what they've done before. Making rhythmically complex music that you can dance The Twist to is a true sign of greatness. The Aislers Set have once again pulled it off, done it well, and will leave you smilin' all day long.
--Joseph Kyle
No comments:
Post a Comment