The third album I chose to evaluate is the Violent Femmes’ 1983 self-titled debut. I didn’t know what to expect having never listened to an album by this group. The only thing that looked vaguely familiar was the title of the first track and, sure enough, as soon as it began I immediately recognized it. It’s one of those tracks that you hear on the radio all of the time but never know the song or artist. I was surprised however at the age of the song. Had someone asked me to date it, I would have placed it some where in the early nineties, ten years later. None the less, I have always liked the track. The next song was called Kiss Off. Though it was unfamiliar, I liked this song as well. The band definitely has their own sound, preferring striped down, barebones production instead of the over-the-top style of typical bands in the 80’s. In this sense they reminded me of iconic alternative band R.E.M.. Also, I enjoyed the lead singer who fancies not only singing, but multiple forms of vocal expression such as talking as well. The third track was in the same vein and I reflected upon how nice it was to hear music that’s more acoustic for a change. Because of how well written the songs were, there wasn’t a lot of production needed; they could stand on their own. This is the antithesis of the Flaming Lips’ style, which favors poorly written songs with an excessive amount of production (see first review). As I listened to the fourth track, Add It Up, I realized how unique the Voilent Femmes really are. They sound like nothing that has come before and very little that has come since. I find that originality to be an exceptionally significant trait. In fact, I would rather hear a band perform in an original style that I didn’t particularly care for than try to copy one that I did. The fifth track, Confessions really showcases the lead vocalist’s ability. Here’s where the R.E.M. comparison is most applicable. While his voice in untrained and a bit ‘rough’, he uses it in a myriad of ways from singing to speaking and several things in between. Another vocal technique, which he is particularly adept as employing, is the use of word painting. An example of this would be the way in which he sings “Hack, hack, hack, it apart” in rapid chopping motion analogous to the way in which an ax would chop a piece of wood (or something else).
The second half of the album starts off with a track called Prove my Love. I must admit, at this point I began to get tired of the similar style shared by all of the songs. If I have one critic of the album up to this point it is the lack of musical variety. The lyrics themselves, however, are interesting (as always) so the listening experience is still an enjoyable one. Fallowing this was Promise. This was the fourth track to clock in under three minutes which is atypical for an album from this time period. This, in addition to the catchy song writing makes for a quick listen. In this regard I would definitely say that the first song set the tone for the rest of the album. For the second time since I started listening to the album, I hear an influence form the Velvet Underground. The next track, To the Kill, was more experimental. I really enjoyed this song. Though I probably wouldn’t buy their whole discography, I am definitely glad that I bought this album. Like most of the other tracks, the song abruptly ends, giving way to the next one, in this case, Gone Daddy Gone. This is another single and I recognized it, though I’ve heard it via covers from other bands. Also I noticed its influence in the style of many songs from a variety of later artists. Of course I would be remiss in not mentioning the idiosyncratic xylophone solo. The final track showcased the Velvet Underground influence once again. The lead singer even sounded like Nico not only in style, but (to a lesser extent) timbre as well. I can’t help but feel like this is what the Velvet Underground would sound like if they were a decent group.* The violin later in the piece is a good touch and demonstrates that even late in the album, the group still has a trick or two up it’s sleeve. As I realized that this was the final track, I started to get a quasi-depressing feeling akin to the way one feels when an exciting journey is quickly coming to a close. It is for this reason that the melancholy nature of the song makes it the perfect track to end on. There are many reasons why this album is excellent but perhaps the best one is that it is able to do what any great work ought to. It leaves you wanting more.
*Maybe I’m just bitter that they are considered to be one of the greatest groups of all time, but I’ve never liked them.
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