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The
Visitations: Propaganda
Politics in music or the lack thereof these days is the platform for this week's review. I've been waiting patiently for an album like this to come stumbling across my reviewing table for some time now and wondering why it has not thus far. It's sort of shocking considering what we're living among these days certain major decisions, attitudes and the like. All these things are usually pretty large musically-inclined opinion-makers. I think it's obvious that within the next two years many more politically-minded bands will become more vocal and active and find themselves in the forefront. However, for now, The Visitations have taken a punk-rattled mindset and applied it to a jangly, psychedelic extreme-o pop backdrop. This album qualifies as a political timepiece capturing concerns and snidely and sarcastically criticizing the current state of affairs. Staying true to a previously defined Elephant 6 form, these three boys create a barebones acoustic flailing with semi-dry, bored vocals. The music is slightly amateurish but endearingly so (probably purposefully). The kicker comes in the beautiful harmonies and subtle melodies which rise lethargically to the surface of each song. Burn a Flag (4 July) finds the singer advocating burning flags as a sort of call to arms for freedom while disowning "government guitar rock MTV." The implication is that the powers that be are quelling message-oriented music, sucking the soul out of it, and it's time to take a stand. A couple tracks later, on Talkin' Hate Radio Blues, everyone's favorite song from Disney's Robin Hood is construed into a lower-class blues rant. That infamous whistled melody winds itself perfectly into the chorus of the song. Youll know exactly what I mean, so check it out. Brilliant. My concern is that political acoustic balladry will never really find its place back into prominent pop culture. It's good the lyrics are smart, wry, fun and ranty but where does the audience lie these days? This is intelligent protest music for times that have forgotten protest music and for people that are too busy for it. With floodings and pollutions of air and earwaves, where does that leave the protest singer-songwriter? Where has the audience gone? Is it a wasted attempt considering the state of radio, television and magazines? At least there are artists like this still out there, working to prod the public's head. Artists not willing to give up. The last track is a send off and goodnight, a shove off and encouragement for those uneasy and unsure of where they're headed.
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