The Joness are keeping up with it, and you should too!
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Kevin Drew “Spirit If...” Roxy S. 8.5 out of 10 Remember all those gawky mid to late nineties teen flicks where the class nerd won prom king or the underdog got the pretty girl in the end? Remember secretly rooting for them because you decided it was about time that the crown and the girl went to the unconventional hero no matter how bitter the irony would taste? I’ll admit that I have fallen victim to exaggerated paradox in many a teen movie; I mean how could you say no to Drew Barrymore when she’s never been kissed?! Well this is exactly how another Drew swept me off my feet upon first listen. Kevin Drew’s “Spirit If...” embodies the idea of a paradox by combining child-like whimsy with a matured heaviness that doesn’t beg to be acknowledged, but instead politely taps you on the shoulder and makes his presence known. I applaud anyone who can sing a song with a title like “Gangbang Suicide” as artfully and beautifully as Drew can.Kevin Drew is widely known for co-founding the group Broken Social Scene alongside Brendan Canning in 1999. Exploding during the Canadian indie wave, Broken Social Scene is as noted for its revolving door of about 15 other band members, including Emily Haines of Metric, Amy Millian of Stars, and Leslie Feist, as it is for its warm, electro-experimental sounds. The band released their instrumental debut “Feel Good Lost” (Noise Factory Records) to a largely receptive audience. The critically acclaimed “You Forgot It in People” was released in 2002, followed by the “Bee hives” EP in 2004, and my personal favorite “Broken Social Scene” (Arts and Crafts) in 2005.Besides the orchestral size line-up, Broken Social Scene shares the sweet pop sounds and lyrical intensity of bands like The Boy Least Likely To and Arcade Fire.“Spirit If...” is to be released as part of the “Broken Social Scene Presents” series: a consecution of albums from members Drew, Canning, and Justin Peroff that includes material as well as appearances from Broken Social Scene melded into solo work. On “Spirit If...”, Drew plays antagonist to himself by allowing traces of his inner Dr. Jekyl to come out, however subtly, with his use of derogatory language and ominous references to broken hearts and heroin in the tracks “Fucked Up Kid” and “Tbtf.” I enjoyed the contrast made between the sequencing of the songs, lyrics and instruments by incorporating heavy verse with playful banjos, glockenspiels, and sound effects like the sound of breaking glass and the cartoonish piano ending of “Lucky Ones.” Another distinguishing feature of the album is Drew’s singing style, especially noticeable on “Gangbang Suicide”, that’s akin to a whispering child and only furthers the beautiful eeriness of the album. I LOVED “Safety Bricks” which tapped into my romantic side, but with a haunting sense of nostalgia that I couldn’t pin-point, and I know didn’t come from the movie Drive Me Crazy. Some of the titles are lewd and even a bit crude, but upon further listening the lyrics are hard to take lightly.Kevin Drew is currently on tour for “Spirit If...” which hits shelves September 18. I already bought my tickets and would suggest the same to you: I promise you’ll be more smitten with this album than with any other overly romanticized teen flick you’ve ever watched.
Comments (13)
Incidentally, your mentioning teenage-flicks got me thinking that "Superbad" wouldn't be a bad subtitle for "Spirit If..."