The first and only album I've received in the post and so I deem it necessary to review. The accompanying media pack says that it's by a homosexual Mormon who made it on the cheap. So, what to expect, well, I was expecting a lo-fi thing with all sorts o' quare instruments around the place as it mentions clarinets and banjos amongst others. It was disappointing on the first front as it wasn't really lo-fi at all, whether that's a good thing or bad thing is up to you. It's not trying to be lo-fi and failing but rather it just has higher production values than I expected.
If ever there was an adage that said, "Don't judge an album by its opener" then it should be applied here. As to be honest I found the opener to be by far the weakest song on an otherwise fairly good album. You've got well constructed songs and it's clear that Steven Tyler Slovacek has an ear for melodies. The airy, oddly religious-sounding, a cappella chant that is the opener was less impressive than the indie rock which makes up the rest of the album. The thing that makes the rest of the album stand out and feel that more impressive is the fact it's that bit more interesting than the stripped down opener. It's got all sorts o' quare noises, hoots, honks, hollers, vocals cryin' mantras like the Pope were in attendance and importantly riffs catchier than scarlet fever.
Sadly aforementioned riffs aren't ever present nor are the hoots, honks, squeaks and such that make areas of it interesting and enjoyable. Mr. Slovacek delves into a kind of second rate folk rock at times, the kind of stuff that sounds like it was rejected from the soundtrack of Garden State. On top of this there's a certain clumsiness to the construction of the songs, like in "Utah", we have a pure folk track which is actually well done when from nowhere it transforms into a bass driven indie disco song and I'm in two minds as to whether I like it: on one hand it's kind of endearing and on the other it's fashioned in a clumsy way so it seems like he couldn't make up his mind which of two songs he should do. Later in the album we have the opening vocal track given an electronic makeover and it changes it totally and in my opinion for the better. It gives it edge and form and a certain crafting that it lacked before.
The second-rate folk rock aside, Slovacek has an album showing a range of styles, sure they need some fine tuning (at times the noise he uses is little more than loud static over the top of already slightly distorted and echoed vocals) but the truth is the basics are here, the rudiments of a really great album. I'd say maybe wait till his next one but this is worth a wee listen even if ya just fancy sittin' pickin' out the Mormon and homosexuality references in the lyrics.
[Company Man Myspace]
[Buy The Headless from Dugout Sounds]
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