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The Brian
Jonestown Massacre: ...And This Is Our Music
Perhaps its their 60s influence, but more than most bands these days, The Brian Jonestown Massacre knows how to make an album, start to finish. In the digital musical culture that is increasingly driven by individual songs, the idea of an album, whose songs are essential to one another, is nearly forsaken. Ive been listening to And This Is Our Music pretty often since it showed up for review in October, and many of the songs are still indistinguishable from one another in my head. Is that such a bad thing? I would say no, because this album takes you on a journey, one that only makes sense when you start at track one and end at track 17. A girl named Sarah Jane appears to be the narrator of this journey, as the album begins and ends with messages she left on the answering machine of BJM leadman, Anton Newcombe. In the first message, The Wrong Way, she is downright mean and nasty, and in the final one, The Right Way, she is sweet, calm and relaxed. Whether these messages were staged, added to the album to embarrass the girl, or have some other meaning, I dont know; but the girls much calmer mood at the end of the album seems to represent the calming effect of the 15 lush and soothing songs in between the first and last tracks. Each song flows into the next, and all are mid to slow tempo songs with atmospheric sounds created from a wide variety of instruments. By the end of the album, the listener has been calmed, just like Sarah Jane. The album even has spiritual overtones which would be clearer with printed lyrics. In one of the standout tracks, Prozac Vs. Heroine, Newcombe actually appears to be placing himself into the Lords Prayer. Interestingly, the liner notes state that Newcombe wrote this song for Will Sergeant (of Echo and the Bunnymen fame). Despite its twisted lyrics, Prozac Vs. Heroine is a great song to turn up, while you close your eyes and let the swirling melodies engulf you. But spirituality is not necessarily the focus of the album, as stripped-down tracks like MaryAnne are simple, pretty ballads. There are also six instrumentals carefully placed throughout the album, adding to the overall mood. Just like its 2001 predecessor, Bravery Repetition and Noise, this latest release is a BJM collaborative masterpiece with many parties involved. Sixteen musicians overall are credited in the liner notes (including the Holy Spirit for just kicking back and doing his thing). Together these musicians have created one of 2003s most notable releases.
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