MOG

John Vanderslice - Emerald City (Barsuk, 2007) 7.5 stars out of 10

It is my pleasure to announce the arrival of the sixth good album in seven years by singer-songwriter, producer and reliable motherfucker John Vanderslice. It would be disingenuous to say I like 'em all the same (the songs on 2002's Life and Death of an American Fourtracker have stuck with me the least thus far), but they've all had their fair chance at rotation and they've all passed. The formula hasn't shifted too significantly from even his first record, but his occasional tendency to rock, never overpowering from the start, has more or less disappeared by now, replaced by a more simmering tension. His last two (Pixel Revolt and Emerald City) have been his best, eloquently drawing a multi-faceted character of an American drowsily attempting to analyze his nation's cracked policies as the issues of his own personal life haunt him in the process. He's a protest singer on a Robitussin trip, and the production thickens the mood, as pianos ring out, acoustic guitars are blown out and bent, vocals ooze just a tad, and drums are clipped and harsh.

The best part of the whole package is the care and taste with which the de-grounding elements are employed; even a relatively unremarkable, Mountain Goats-styled folk song like "Numbered Lithograph" gets sweetened by an ancient beatbox treated with a skittery delay, the effect ending up not unlike a Raymond Scott piece from his Manhattan Research experiments. Other subtle tricks, like the chorus of "Time to Go" or the backing vocals on "Tablespoon of Codeine," are better left heard than described. Yes, "thoughtful, careful placement" is and probably will always be the word for Mr. Vanderslice.

Does that include the songs themselves? For the most part, you bet. He's not skirting the avant garde, nor is he in line for a Pulitzer (though in all fairness, he's far too good for a Grammy), but Vanderslice seems to try pretty hard - perhaps even harder than ever, now - to avoid the most cliched motifs in his tunes, and to make his hooks hit in manners not to be mistaken for, say, most anyone that would appear on the soundtrack of a popular television program these days. "Maturity" is another way to put it. He's also a classical music buff, and though you wouldn't necessarily guess it listening to his songs, knowing it could some light on what makes him so tasteful. "The Minaret," for example, quickly reveals a secret weapon in its keyboard arrangements; the counterpoint is simple and sweet, but not the usual.

At 9 songs in 38 minutes, Emerald City is Vanderslice's most concise and focused record. "Tablespoon of Codeine" sits at the dead center of the piece: "Tablespoon of Codeine/ Puts you right to bed/ Don't want any more Codeine/ Wanted to make it on my own tonight." Each face of his character seems to share the feelings evoked by this chorus: Life contains many opportunities for escape, isolation, and destruction, and many others for connection and communication, and it's all to be kept in mind. Heavy thoughts, as always, from the man known as the nicest guy in indie rock.

-Spencer Owen

- John Vanderslice's website - he's been doing a "blog tour" - check out what I mean