Here’s a hard album to explain. First off, there are two discs included with it. Easy enough. Second, each of the discs is by a different band, The Minus 5 and The Young Fresh Fellows, respectively. Hmm. Finally, both of these bands are led by the same singer/songwriter/guitarist, Scott McCaughey. What’s going on here?
Well, it all basically boils down to McCaughey’s talent and productivity. If you are an R.E.M. fan, you have probably heard him playing guitar and keyboards on the last two releases, “New Adventures in Hi-fi” and “Up.” He is also their official touring back-up guitarist. McCaughey formed The Young Fresh Fellows in the early ’80s in Seattle. The Fellows enjoyed moderate success throughout the decade, often touring with the Replacements and eventually supporting the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the “Mother’s Milk” tour.
The Minus 5 came together in 1994 and basically consisted of McCaughey and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, along with a revolving cast of musicians who play instruments as unconventional as sleigh bells. The disc boasts the clever title “Let the War Against Music Begin.” Simply put, this is pop music at its shimmering best. Nearly every song on this album boasts a very sophisticated and mind-bendingly intricate arrangement. Layers and layers of sound are stacked up against each other, resulting in a towering edifice of music.
Upon first listening to the album, my initial reaction was something along the lines of “hey, this sounds a hell of a lot like the Beach Boys — ‘Pet Sounds,’ to be precise.” This is not a bad thing. “Let the War Against Music Begin” is one of the more musically striking albums in recent memory.
The album has a strange vibe to it. I can’t decide whether it is deliriously happy or heartbreakingly sad. Perhaps this feeling is best summed up by McCaughey himself, who says, “I thought it would be cool to do an album about death, loneliness, alcoholism and despair, but have sleigh bells on every song.”
In contrast, The Young Fresh Fellows keep it simple and rocking on “Because We Hate You.” Just look at some of the song titles: “My Drum Set,” “Summerland,” “Good Times Rock ‘n’ Roll.” There’s no messing about with string sections or glockenspiels here. However, McCaughey’s fine pop sensibilities are very much in evidence upon this album. The songs on “Because We Hate You” are almost absurdly catchy. I have about five of them stuck in my head right now. This is simple, stupid pop music played by four high-energy guys.
If there is any complaint to be made about either of these albums, it is the fact that it is somewhat hard to take them very seriously. How deep can you look into a song called “The Amazing Dolphin Boy” or “Thirsty Bird” (a song that is in fact about a thirsty bird)? Some of the music on these album is incredibly beautiful and sophisticated, and it seems like a bit of a shame to waste such glories upon such silly themes. Furthermore, McCaughey’s voice is occasionally irritating. As a friend of mine put it, “it sounds like he’s singing each song with huge, sappy grin on his face.” I’m afraid that I would have to agree with this statement.
These complaints are basically splitting hairs, though. “Let the War Against Music Begin” and “Because We Hate You” are blasts of sunshine that hearken back to the glory days of ’60s power pop. The fact that you get them both at the same time for a very nice price just adds to the goodness. If you like good, old-fashioned pop music and you aren’t looking for any deep lyrical revelations in the near future, then McCaughey’s latest works may be right up your alley.
2 bands, 2 styles, 1 musician equals tons of fun
Daily Emerald
February 28, 2001
0
More to Discover