The Slip's Eisenhower is one of those slippery, tricky albums that tries to further define an idea. Basically, their point is not a point, per se, but more a series of ideas complimented by a fully developed format. Coming from the understated indie-rock school that graduated Versus, Small Factory, and a slew of other 1990's bands passed over by the cultural elite, The Slip take the reins of inner-monologue idealism dropped by millions of potential do-gooders and well-wishers taking the glancing blows of smart un-hip independent rock.
The ideas—such as the forgotten birthdays of December babies, lost or fading love, etc.—coagulate through their aforementioned format and thrive on the subtle harmonies only a three piece can provide. The perils of idealistic writing and inner monologue idealism are many. Formerly great albums that followed this non-trend have succeeded (the Shins albums) and others have been deemed failures (Jets to Brazil's Perfecting Loneliness being a prime example). I love nothing more than the stream of consciousness babbling of an idealist, and I find that often the cheesiest effects and worst lines are often born more organically from an actual thesis to the lyrics. The opening track of Eisenhower runs through a listing of the months of the year and a meaning in each one—a cheesy and contrived effect but one with a narrative that lives within the idea that the forgotten people are usually the most affected. His casual reminder of how fantastic his rhythm section is (they are both assigned months in his ramble) is subtly hilarious and self-effacing while being completely self-involved. This strikes me more than girlfriend sagas or pretentious invoking of dramatic vignettes of the suffering masses.
The more mundane the mindset, the more fascinating the observation and the more need for flashy effects. The mobile thinker—the ones that seem to wallow in self-doubt more than self-pity appeal to a more internal sort (like ones who would focus an entire review on a small musical preference rather than say: "This was good, but sorta cheesy at times I give it a 6.0). The comparisons make me want to listen to Superchunk, Jawbreaker, Versus, Small Factory—the whole lot of them—rather than waste another moment trying to remember how to describe the type of clarity that a cleverly cheesy line can bring.
Arrival makes more sense than being tossed into the fray of a problem. It is impressive to see how a quarrel or story progresses rather than be left inside of it knowing nothing about it's beginning or end. Even when the Peter Cetera vocals chime in or the lyrical content fails, it is at least interesting and form-fitting. Pianos, guitars, flashy rhythms and all else aside, I just loved how Eisenhower made sense. Sometimes, that's all I need, really. |