Let me preface this by saying I like bad singers. I actually like the sound of Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and Kirk Kirkwood's voices. Screw the lyrics, those are damn unique voices. The thing about bad singers is they sound so much more real and tangible to me than the pitch-perfect golden throats. As much as I can dig someone like Jackie Wilson, I can't connect with him on a personal level because I don't feel a personal expression - I hear expression of musical forms, not personal emotions. He's much too pristine to connect with; I crave vulnerability. With that said, Middlepicker probably sounds a lot better to my ears than to your average listener's ears.
On their sophomore release, Middlepicker seem to have refined their sound and solidified their focus. The most notable difference in their sound is including Kristen Anderson as a third vocalist. With three vocalists sharing lead duties, they've reached a highly cohesive level, which may partly explain the pirate motif gently gracing the album. You can tell the band is tight. It only makes sense they take on an outlaw unit mentality - it's Middlepicker against the world, for cripes sake!
Though "Walks the Plank" is packed with bright and mid-tempo indie rock songs, with gargle-y throat vox, the ringing clang of Andy Gill-inspired guitar shrillery and a cymbal smashing in the red drummer, "Walks the Plank" still packs a fair wallop. To understand this dichotomy, you need look no further than "Look Alive," in which a resilient piano chirp accompanies the chorus, but is ultimately overrun by the superchunk crunch of the rest of the band.
Aggressive, but not abrasive. Catchy, but not poppy. "Walks the Plank" showcases Middlepicker in all their college rock glory.
www.myspace.com/middlepicker |
