Word: pitchforkã
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...background. The fact that the Fiery Furnaces actually are capable of writing quirky songs that aren’t mainstream but also aren’t contrived makes the entire project frustrating. Earlier albums, like “Blueberry Boat,” were successful not only because of Pitchfork??s praise but also because they successfully showed that lyrically-complicated, sonically-rich albums could work in a mainstream context. Although “Widow City” is a significant improvement over previous Furnaces records like “Rehearsing My Choir,” the entire...
...fact, the program’s got so much indie/hipster cred that the bookers must write for Pitchfork??past bands have included Belle Orchestre and the Mountain Goats. The calendar also boasts stellar jazz and classical offerings...
...wasn’t until arriving here that Pitchfork??s hidden flaws reared their ugly heads. My sense of camaraderie in musical savvy quickly gave way to a startling realization: every one of these indie-philes I was meeting read Pitchfork daily, adapted it to their needs, and in doing so crafted a musical “personality” though a process as efficient as a Model T assembly line. Some read further than others, wading through the blandly melodic and arriving in the safe realm of the avant-garde (read: unlistenable...
Plus, all of this is kind of a dated argument, in a way. The real snobs that I know sound suspiciously like you, my friend. They tend to be the ones who, in a dazzling feat of meta-snobbery, decide that Pitchfork??s opinions are anathema, and doubt themselves if they agree with this merry band of traveling hipsters...
Ridley writes himself into a hole, however. Pitchfork??s characters and dialogue support a network of intertwined symbols that grows increasingly complex as the play progresses. Presley in particular is overburdened with thematic importance, and this production additionally sprinkles Presley-as-Christ imagery throughout. Eventually, Presley requires a 15-minute monologue to sort out everything that his character represents. Johnson makes the speech work, no question, but here, as elsewhere, Ridley’s work does not always lend itself to non-thematic nuance...
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