[Review] Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks

Three years have passed since the release of double album Living With the Living, and a lot has changed. Leo’s moved to a new label (Matador), there’s a new guy running the country (so one wouldn’t expect another “Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.”), the band has a snazzy new website, and Twitter has burst onto the scene (in case you hadn’t heard @TedLeo won a Shorty Award a few weeks back for best Music tweets). In these times of great change I have come to regard Ted Leo as something of a constant.

When I first saw video of a solo acoustic performance of “One Polaroid a Day” back in October, I was pretty impressed. When “Even Heroes Have to Die” hit the internet as a free pre-release mp3, I was less enthralled but still feeling good about the album to come. Here’s a (dreaded) song-by-song breakdown of the The Brutalist Bricks:

“The Mighty Sparrow” is a kickass opener. Probably my favorite song on the record. (Video from Late Night With Jimmy Fallon)

“Mourning in America” is a re-recording of a song from 2008’s Rapid Response EP. Since I took a course on Reagan last spring, the title made me happy (and I borrowed it for a paper).

“Ativan Eyes” is one I’ve warmed to a bit from my first impression, it’s big-sounding but feels kind of stale at the same time. For some reason I was reminded of the Foo Fighters’ 2005 release In Your Honor.

“Even Heroes Have to Die” feels like an obvious single. Some major chord joy, pretty catchy. A lot of acoustic here.

“The Stick” is a hair under two minutes, and I didn’t particularly enjoy it. Not especially tuneful.

“Bottled In Cork” is a VERY Ted song. Wordy, straightforward, some guitar-hero time, lots of layered vocals. Once again, a lot of acoustic.

“Woke Up Near Chelsea” makes up for what lacks in melody with attitude.

“One Polaroid a Day” sees Leo use the bottom end of his expansive vocal range. I think the song would have been better served had he stuck to using his normal/falsetto range. I’m probably a bit biased because that’s how he sang it in the aforementioned video from last fall, but it just sounds wrong in the way it’s presented on the album.

“Where Was My Brain?” is a much catchier use of 2 minutes than “The Stick” was.

“Bartolomeo and the Buzzing of Bees” is a very approachable mid-tempo tune that apparently inspired the cover art???

“Tuberculoids Arrive in Hop” is a sort of ominious-sounding acoustic number that reminds me of Zeppelin III/IV material like the “Battle of Evermore.” I think that as a drastic change of pace it works pretty well. Liked the night sounds in the background. I heard that they were on loan from Neko Case.

“Gimme The Wire” is pretty standard Ted Leo fare. Good, but not great (though I did find the chorus grating; that’s an entirely different sort of “grate” however).

“Last Days” is an excellent closer; the sort of song Ted Leo + Rx are capable of when firing on all cylinders.

All in all, The Brutalist Bricks is a pretty good effort. It’s not on par with Hearts of Oak or Shake the Sheets, but if nothing else it proves that the guy’s still got it. This is not Ted Leo at his best, but to awkwardly paraphrase Tom Gabel, even when he’s at his worst he’s still better than most.

The Brutalist Bricks is out now, buy it here.
You can listen to a stream of the album here.

[Video] Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – “The Mighty Sparrow” (live)

This is one of four videos over on Spinner.com culled from the band’s new release The Brutalist Bricks.

A review of that album is forthcoming, sit tight folks.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

[Odds and Ends] I’m Back Again, It’s Friday

I must begin this post with an explanation of my absence. On Wednesday night my band Kid Omega (yes, that obscure Worcester indie-punk band with an all but defunct blog) was playing a show at Tammany Hall with the ever excellent Sister City and the incomparable Britney’s Spear. Three acts. Three styles. Three hours. A couple of spilled beverages, one of which was especially entertaining. The house band never showed up. Epic fail. Oh and the Yankees won the World Series. Don’t want to talk about it.

On Thursday it was my good friend Beckie’s birthday, and so there was a lengthy dinner out at a nearby restaurant with all the trappings. And then I was writing a paper, which carried over into this afternoon.

But now it’s the weekend. Life is good, we are young, and the beer is cheap. Real world, I’ll catch you Sunday. Until then, I’m making good on my opportunities. In my estimation, the blog doesn’t count as the real world so I’ll probably post something tomorrow.

Sunny Day Real Estate – Friday (From LP2)
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – The High Party (From Hearts of Oak)

[I will refrain from inserting the entire Andrew WK discography here, although I was mighty tempted]

Buy ’em up:
Sub Pop
Lookout!

[Video] New Ted Leo Song!?

I’ve counted myself as a solid Ted Leo fan since he came to Clark University back during the first semester of Freshman year. He had a pretty rough cold and one of his fingers was bleeding but he rocked ever so hard in spite of his varied maladies. Living With the Living was a fine record and although his label Touch and Go had to make some painful cuts earlier this year, he recently signed with Matador, and it appears he’s been getting his write on and will have a new album out hopefully sometime in the Spring of 2010. Also, did I mention that he has a Twitter? Being one of Ted Leo’s tweeps is a rewarding experience, I promise.

Somewhere under that hat dwells the most awesome Mohawk you’ll never see. Cheers.

(Via donewaiting.com)

[Themed] The War of Northern Aggression, Part 4

For want of any better concepts at this time, I am posting yet another installment…

Dolorean – Violence in the Snowy Fields (From Violence in the Snowy Fields)
Blood shows up pretty well on snow.

The Fainting Fansies – Volunteer Army (From The Red Shed)
At the start of the war, the Northern Army was comprised largely of volunteers–by the middle of the war the North was increasingly reliant on conscription.

The Go! Team – We Just Won’t Be Defeated (From Thunder, Lightning, Strike)
The Go! Team–kindred spirits with Panic! At the Disco, if only because of their love of the exclamation point mid-name. I guess this could be the North’s fight song?

Willy Mason – Fear No Pain (From Where the Humans Eat)
Religious conviction helped men on both sides go into battle with less apprehension of death, and this song kind of sums that up.

The Avett Brothers – Die Die Die
The title says it all, I think. Plus, the Avett Brothers are from North Carolina.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Army Bound (Demo)
I like this version better than the one that appeared on Living With the Living, but that might just be me. Either way, it’s good.

Buy ’em up:
Yep Roc
The Fainting Fansies Myspace
Columbia
Virgin
Ramseur Records
Touch and Go