Word: leos
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Unfortunately, this is one of the only successful moments of the production, which ends on a fittingly impassive note for a show that stresses electrical connections over personal ones. Leo Gordon’s final speech about his hope for the future of mankind should be a stirring conclusion, but his delivery into a microphone instead turns it into a lecture. While the Gordons are left with nothing but their own faith in man’s work, Fish’s production leaves a far less reassuring impression...
...concept behind Brutalism, a postwar architetural aesthetic, figures prominently in Ted Leo and the Pharmacists’ (TL/Rx) sixth studio album, “The Brutalist Bricks.” Like the raw concrete buildings meant to reveal the structure and function of their rooms through their exteriors, the album’s tracks combine to embody what seems to be the LP’s primary purpose. “Bricks” seeks to remain true to TL/Rx’s punk roots and commitment to a diverse range of musical genres, while experimenting with the style...
...album emerges with “The Mighty Sparrow,” a characteristic TL/Rx opener infused with energy and saturated with references to politics and romance—let it never be said that songwriter and frontman Ted Leo values rhyme over reason. Kicking off with Leo yelling “When the café doors exploded / I reacted to, reacted to you,” this track is an imperative statement. Coming from TL/Rx, its forcefulness is expected, but so is everything else—the song is unsurprising and ordinary. As flawless a blend as Leo?...
Take “Even Heroes Have to Die,” an assertive stance on the reality of growing old, which Leo—now nearing 40—appears to regard with poise rather than panic. Powered by dynamic acoustic guitar, the upbeat melody has Leo singing, “Even heroes have to die / No one lives forever / No one’s wise to try.” The song is more reminiscent of the enervating, passionate style TL/Rx presented on 2004’s undervalued “Shake the Sheets?...
...band reveals a brilliant glimmer of versatility on “One Polaroid A Day,” which establishes its place amongst the loveliest songs TL/Rx have produced. Leo exchanges falsetto for throaty, deep musings that complement the subdued nature of this track. With an understated drumbeat and strumming bass, “Polaroid” is far from succumbing to muteness or timidity. Instead, the song is a subtly crafted gem, whose force lies in the band’s ability to augment a knack for a catchy beat with a heretofore rarely seen phenomenon—Leo...