 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Music that floats past the hollow city monoliths- In the middle of Michigan is the city of Flint- a place that's been treated unkindly. Once a vibrant, blooming metropolis, (and the site of the "Autoworld" theme park,) it is now a gray desert plagued with crime, unemplyoment and depression. In their own way, Automobile pays homage to the once auto-industry hub of Flint. The band is a group of friends that came together from a smattering of curby, Flint suburbs. Jenny Toms, poet/singer, provides a voice for evincive poems- literary rivulets, laden with imagery. Starting with the spoken-word verses of "Sestina," the album's tone is set as it grasps for that liberation so well captured by the writing of E.E.(Cummings) and Elizabeth Bishop. "The Lull," a stomping pop anthem, with its chopping piano, gearwork drums, and hacking guitar chords, is a political poem rife with wry stabs about Flint's economic desolation and the "mallification" of America in general. "Listless" and "Gasoline," are a glimpse of the suburbs and of Flint itself, both restlessly seeking another locale- be it solace for the body or for the mind. The Smiths-esque guitar lines of "Listless" juxtapose suburbia with the imagery of a peaceful wilderness. "Gasoline" is perhaps the first time the Bronte sisters get their own gritty rocker. The album continues with "Japhy," a tribute to Kerouac's Dharma Bums. "RWB," wraps up the state of American politics in an anthemic piano framework, and "Here is the Bad News," with its somber violin and lush layers of guitar, drips with beautiful strains of melancholia. Finally, with "Detroit, an Insect Food," the crescendo builds into a pop chorus that calls again and again for the "word bombs" of Karl Marx and Allen Ginsberg when, again and again, Capitalism fails. A highlights of the album is the closing tune- the innocent, acoustic,"Old Song," which reminds us of the times when we, as children, would awaken full of purity and optimism, each and every morning. Complete with percussive wallet and pocket change- Maybe it's the foreshadowing of adulthood responsibility and the corruption of money? Either that or the change-jingle just sounds good... The lilting vocal melodies and jangly guitars take the cue from such landmark favorites as R.E.M. and The Smiths, and Automobile has drawn comparisons to the Sundays, 10,000 Maniacs, and the Pretenders- while creating something original in the process. Members of Automobile went on to play as May/June, Lingua Franca, M. Maynard, and The Pantones. Produced independently and warmly recorded on analog equipment in South Lyon, Michigan. Lyrics included. Check out the artist's website: http://www.myspace.com/flintautomobile Track List: 1. Sestina 2. The Lull 3. Listless 4. Gasoline 5. Japhy 6. RWB 7. Here's the Bad News 8. Detroit, an insect food 9. Old Song Other Genres:
|