Word: songfulness
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...only album that seems properly given its due is 1997’s “Brighten the Corners,” which is granted four inclusions: the yelping, joyous classic rock song “Stereo;” the winding, wistful “Shady Lane;” the schizophrenic, sped-up “Embassy Row;” and Kannberg’s second-best song, “Date with IKEA.” Pavement’s sedate final album, “Terror Twilight,” gets the short shrift with...
...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’s falsetto, a tight drum line, and a melodic guitar solo can be, there’s no particular charm in stating the obvious. About as Ted Leo as Ted Leo can get, “The Mighty Sparrow?...
...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”—and a thankful departure from the seriously underwhelming “Living with the Living,” 2007’s contender for album...
...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?...
...beautifully rounded sound for wavering efforts to be distinctive. “Tuberculoids Arrive in Hop” could be haunting, but it’s overworked, and the result is a strange amalgamation of shrill tones bookended by segments that appear to have been recorded outside. The song is certainly different, but its oddness is remarkable only because it distinguishes itself from much of the rest of the album, which suffers from the conclusion that nine years after breakout debut “The Tyranny of Distance,” TL/Rx can still rock out—it?...