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Safe Return Doubtful: Self-Titled
Safe Return Doubtfuls self-titled CD is not an easy
collection of songs to listen to and immediately like.
Nor is it an easy disc to write about.
The popularity of noise-rock seems to be growing again, at least in the
so-called underground, and noise rock seems to be getting more and more noisy,
pushing the limits. This album is full of songs that have been carefully crafted
to incorporate dissonant guitars with lots of distortion, feedback and reverb,
and then coupled with off kilter vocals. It is obvious that the band put a lot of work into
arranging these songs to create a good balance between noise and melody (which
is the mark of good noise-rock in my book).
Tracks like RC Propulsion and Drones teeter on the brink of
explosion just before the singer stops wailing and the guitar returns to a
comfortable key. At other times, his voice returns to key only to be accompanied
by suddenly dissonant guitars. It
all seems very calculated, yet the band pulls the sound off naturally.
RC Propulsion somewhat reminded me of the wall of sound Hüsker Dü
innovated on Zen Arcade. Like Hüsker Dü, Safe Return Doubtful is a trio that knows how to deafen listeners in
a good way. The songs Youre Hysterical and Made Himself
Scarce dont accomplish the same noise/melody balance. Both tracks incorporate dissonant guitar with distressed,
earnest vocals, creating an urgency that complements the lyrics seemingly
somber subject matters. Yet, these
songs dont give the listener a break from the noise, leaving an unsettled (and
perhaps
intentional) feeling at the the songs' conclusions. The lyrics on this album are truly stream of consciousness,
connecting disjointed phrases into stories that somehow manage to carry themes.
The haphazard approach to the lyrics suits the chaotic music well with
lines like, Learn those greys youre a Xeroxed angel, no tears no
sticky cheeks today. Everything on
the menus inexpensive. Its
your special holiday. You get
the impression that the singer is either disturbed or on some sort of drug. Safe Return Doubtful doesnt really sound like anyone else out there right now. I read somewhere that that they broke up, which is a shame because whether you like the sound or not, having a unique sound at all is a rare thing in music these days.
This album can be purchased by paying $6 US/ $8 outside US to Wishful Thinking, 169 Westerwood Dr., Rock Hill, SC 29732 About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
