Good Day quickly establishes the style for the album, and personally I'm a big fan of the semi-chaotic mix of drums, piano and howling vocals. While most of the time the lyrics are a tale of heartbreak, I find it optimistic in that it's often about channelling the pain into a motivating energy. For example, the cute reference to Gloria Gaynor hit with the line "I'd like to do more than survive, I'd like to rub it in your face". Unfortunately, the song drags out a bit at the end though.
The whispered sections of Missed Me are fantastic, as is the simple melody. However, again, the song drags out and the wailing gets grating after a while.
Girl Anachronism and Coin Operated Boy no longer hold any appeal for me. Not due to the songs themselves, but just that they've been played to death over the years. Oh, and the distortion effect on the vocals is annoying. The singer injects fantastic emotion and energy into the lyrics, why on earth would anyone want to distort that??
Speaking of sound quality, the album has huge variation between the quiet and loud sections. When listening on the train, this is a pain in the arse! But the trade-off is more than worth it, when you are able to listen in a nice quiet room, the contrast is fantastic. Perhaps for this reason, I wasn't really getting into this album while listening to it on my mp3 player. But then it came to life brilliantly when I sat down and listened properly on a decent stereo.
Half Jack is where it all comes together, and the result is brilliant. Personal highlights are the "uh huh" lyric melodies, the build-up throughout the song and the headbanging goodness of the chorus. Similarly, The Perfect Fit works a treat. The concept of a tradesman who "fixes" broken hearts, in the same way a plumber fixes pipes, as discussed by the lyrics, is an interesting idea! Also, I really dig the sneaky reference to The Doors' "Hello, I Love You", and the huge finale is a brilliant highlight which ties the song together nicely.
Gravity is the perfect example of piano-rock. The effect is both characterful and enveloping, like Ben Folds at his best. Great stuff.
The Jeep Song is pure dark-cabaret-pop genius. "Toorak tractors" are a pet peeve of mine, so I can easily imagine associating heartbreak the sight of one of these overweight, fashion-conscious SUVs. So it's perfectly described by:
I guess it's just my stupid luck,
That all of Boston drives the same black fucking truck
Every element of this song is fantastic- bouncy verses, seamless flow, nice subtle variety in the backing, a multitude of catchy hooks, great climax. And nicely biting lyrics.
Due to their position in the album, Slide and Truce usually get overlooked for me. Not that there's anything really wrong with them, but I prefer not to return to the downhearted mood. The pick-me-up fun of The Jeep Song is the perfect note to end on.
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