Album: They Mean Us
Artist: The Ladies
Genre: Indie/Math Rock
Year: 2006
Label: Temporary Residence
I love musicians who collaborate. An artist who is prolific is great, but an artist that leads you to a dozen other great artists is better. This happened with Mike Patton. I started with Faith No More and the man took my hand and led me all around the room to Secret Chiefs 3, Tomahawk, The Dub Trio and The Handsome Boy Modeling School to name just a few. Now, the same thing is happening with Zach Hill and Rob Crow. Both men are prolific and love to collaborate. Hill is the drummer for Hella, Goon Moon, The Holy Smokes and Team Sleep to name just a few. The man is a human dynamo of drum insanity, combining speed and precision in powerful fashion. Crow, on the other hand, is one-half of Pinback, a member of Thingy, The Other Men and Goblin Cock, again, to name just a few. All of his work contains his trademarked vocals, a cool, almost dreamy delivery that would calm the soul of anyone within the sound of it. Both of these men are talented, complicated and funny. So learning that the two of them had done an album together? To quote Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox “It’s like God’s on my side and he’s answered my Christmas list!”
Many people have described this album as sounding like Pinback meets Hella, which made me skeptical at first. But The Ladies do indeed sound like the drums of Hella mixed with the guitars of Pinback. Beautifully too. You’d think that the rattling drums of Hella would go poorly with the more laid back sound of Pinback, but they fit together so well it’s like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from the hands of Indie Rock wizards. Which, of course, it is. The Ladies debut album, They Mean Us, is likely to be the only thing we’ll hear from this particular duo for a long time to come, so you have to make it last. Unfortunately, this album is only 33 minutes in length. I have single tracks that are longer. But it’s a strong 33 minutes. If you find Pinback too lulling or Hella too crazy, this is where you’ll find a perfect middle ground. You won’t fall asleep because the drums are keeping you awake, and the guitar doesn’t go off in to some hitherto unheard of direction at random intervals. It’s almost a perfect compromise, except its too damn short (damn it). Like this review. Oh well.
1 comment:
I do like this album cover more, but it didn't catch my eye like the other one. I would like the other one more if the woman was holding a lobster and had a more interesting expression.
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