The Normal Years
The Normal Years
From the get-go there are still hints of the Treepeople floating around, but underneath the edgy and rough-hewn choruses are the kernels of more expansive and melodic sounds. With a lineup as diverse as an insect farm, this album jumps through a few different styles, with a focus on good rock ‘n’ roll.
A punk-pogo feel emerges on "Shortcut" and careens around like an old Dodge Dart being driven too fast on a slick highway. The tempo is then taken down a notch on "Car," a song about getting stoned, going for a drive, coming back to the house, and talking about how the world works. On "Some Things Last A Long Time," the guitar solos get longer, distortion effects bob around like Ali dodging Sonny Liston and little wah-wah effects pop in to give the song a psychedelic, campfire feel. On "Girl," Martsch does a great strum-and-sing about meeting the perfect girl. The lyrics are simple and to the point: "Waiting for my girl to come/and if she does will she be dumb/or really smart/or will she break my heart and wad it up and throw it in my face?" “Joyride” swings around and around as Martsch sings about letting loose and making life fun. Some sound effects of cars crashing and speeding along add a nice touch. An instrumental, "Some," is thrown in for good measure, followed by the album’s strongest effort: "Sick & Wrong."
The chord changes are raw, but they're diverse and the emotions behind the tinny sound quality are expansive. As a whole, The Normal Years is something of an experimental collage, raw and intuitive.
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