What is it that makes a group of musicians truly musical? Is it inherent genius, a kind of inspired immediacy that has always been there on the inside, and just can't wait to get out? Or is it the result of a studied craft, the deliberate mastery of a sophisticated art that can only be learned and perfected through a career of experimenting and practicing, measure by measure?
By the latter criterion if not the former, PGMG are a group of true professionals, and with this, their third and most mature full-length, they continue to grow. Élan Vital is not as marked a departure as that which separated the youthful punk-pop of their first record, Good Health, from their sophomore effort, to which this release is a far nearer cousin. It is definitely their most adult output: this is the patient and melodic, more contemplative and less raucous strategy heard haltingly in The New Romance, and here finally presented more forcefully than we’ve seen yet.
These dozen tracks together add up to a vast and colorful tapestry, at once a history lesson and a creative force in its own right, full of new twists and turns everywhere. The sheer breadth of interests here feels like the output of a collective much larger than this quintet, and really, every track has another surprise. ‘The Number’ shows singer Andrea Zollo stepping into the shoes of Exene Cervenka (of X) with the awesomely apathetic staccato the latter did so well.
On the piano-and-bass track ‘Pictures of a Night Scene,' Derek Fudesco takes the lead with a foreboding whisper worthy of Alan Vega, while Zollo supports with some Kim Deal-style “ahh ahhs.” From straight-ahead post-punk (‘Magic Hour’ and ‘Wildcat,’) to bizarre combinations of bluesy guitar licks and latin cha chas (‘Domino’), to whistles (‘The Nocturnal House’), saxophones (‘Night Scene’), and accordions (‘Selling the Wind’), this is art rock that won’t bore the ADD-afflicted.
While all the experimentation reveals signs of great creativity, though, the downside is a lack of focus. As such, the ultimate PGMG album has not yet been made, and after three tries, one begins to wonder if the band is even looking for a singular, unique message – or if their message is eclecticism itself. My two cents is that for their fourth album, the Graves should redouble their focus on the approach taken in ‘Pyrite Pedestal’ and ‘Parade,’ the two best of many highlights of Élan Vital. The Zollo on these cuts is a lot more feminine than the original one from the band’s debut, with a patient delivery and more assurance in what she is communicating. Likewise, the band shows increasing signs of listening to each other and working synthetically, not so enamored with their own respective talents (the recurring problem with ‘supergroups’) or with unexpectedness per se, instead rightly beginning to prioritize directness and emotion.
So after three albums, a handful of EPs, and five years together, the bottom line is that PGMG is a really good band, but perhaps short of a truly great band. You've got to admire their work ethic and their ability to continuously develop. But true musical magic is not only technically virtuosic, it speaks to the heart as well as the brain, to the teenager as well as the critic. So far, PGMG’s chemistry seems more acquired skill than fundamental passion. Their potential will be fully realized once they show us what, among all the things they’re good at, they really love. |