Word: soundly
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...repeated listens reveal no real nuance or subtlety, something that is true all-too-often of the songs on this album. Bass, electric guitar and drums are augmented elsewhere by acoustic guitar and that indie pop favorite, keyboards. Strings are largely absent as Bishop Allen choose a simpler sound that emphasizes their songwriting. This might seem like a wise decision, as Rice and Rudder have acquired a reputation for witty wordplay and elegant storytelling, but on “Grr…” the songwriting disappoints most of all. To be sure, there is the odd line that...
Listeners will get none of that in his latest effort. “Beware,” Oldham’s 15th studio album, moves into the major key, fleshing out the sparse chords of his previous recordings for a more expansive, upbeat sound. It kicks off to a country-western start with the jangly “Beware Your Only Friend,” featuring fiddles, percussion, and a full gospel choir. “I want to be your only friend,” Oldham croons, echoed by a bevy of perky female vocalists singing...
...silliest songs are front-loaded; Oldham regains his footing in the second half of the album. “You Are Lost” strips away the backup vocalists, replacing them with a lush wall of strings to accompany the words, “You are lost inside the sound.” “I Don’t Belong To Anyone” couches Oldham’s tender broodings in pleasant country cadences, coasting to a smooth-edged finish. And in “There Is Something I Have to Say,” Oldham updates...
...Beware” is in many ways the culmination of Oldham’s career trajectory; his sound has gradually moved away from the spare stylings of albums like “I See A Darkness” (which Johnny Cash liked so much he later recorded his own version with Oldham on backup) toward more polished studio trimmings. But in pulling in all the extra instruments (marimba, flute, tenor saxophone, and accordian, to name a few) it loses something of the stark devastation that gave voice to America’s stranger corners of existence. The album?...
...roots on principle. The desired effect is admiration for his idealism, but a low-income college student turning down thousands of dollars essentially because he “hasn’t even been to Puerto Rico” smacks of pretension. His feeble arguments against accepting the money sound especially forced when a financial aid snafu later reveals how badly he could use it.The film relies predominantly on unfortunate stereotypes that place characters in racially charged scenarios. The out of touch, all-white administration’s only response to campus racism is to hold forums on race...