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Radar
Brothers is signed
to the Scottish label Chemikal Underground but they really sound American. Like
Grandaddy and Sparklehorse, their music is filled with the feeling of tedium in
the open country, of bittersweet (but not depression). …And
The Surrounding Mountains,
their third album, smells summertime dust and derelict houses. It sounds
like the first Grandaddy (Under the Western Freeway) but it is not as
original and touching though, and they obviously share same influences – Neil
Young, The Beatles, The Birds, etc. Radar Brothers might be a little bit more
oriented towards the seventies now, like Mercury Rev for example (“uncles”,
“you and the father”, “mothers”, “mountains” could be part of Deserter’s
songs).
In
fact, I listened to this album quite a lot this summer but I quickly grew tired
of it. It’s one of these albums making you stay drowsily in your bed for
hours, watching idly dull TV programs and never stir out of home. When you
really want a do-nothing day, …And the surrounding Mountains is a nice
album to play but when you decide to get up off your butt, it’s time to put
away this album.
And
the Surrounding Mountains
begins with soaring melodies and dreamy cymbals. All of the songs have the same
slow, languid tempo. They're built around warm acoustic guitar, beautiful guitar
melodies and arrangements, and windy analog synthesizers. Everything tend to
bring into relief vocalist Jim Putnam. The songs almost all deal with family
(“you and the father”, “sisters”, “uncles”, “mothers”, “xmas
eve”) and warm weather. They have the same slow rhythm of evening family meals
taking place with a summer setting sun. “Sisters”, “mothers”,
“mountains” and “the wake of all that’s past” nicely incorporate a
mellow piano. The album peaks with “on the line” (which really sounds like
Grandaddy at the beginning) "Rock of the Lake" and the quiet
“mountains” (and its seventies prog rock atmosphere) and the magnificent
“the wake of all that’s past”.
…And
The Surrounding Mountains
is a good album but it
becomes boring in the long run. We might take it off its shelf next summer
though…
-BLACKLISTED IGOR
/oct 1st 2002/