Spring Break
Elephants pretentious, but pays off
John Holmes
Issue date: 10/16/08 Section: Entertainment
10/16/08 - You can't judge a book by its cover. You also can't judge a singer-songwriter by how self-important he or she seems. However, when I first heard about Rachael Yamagata's new release, Elephants / Teeth Sinking Into Heart, I was, admittedly, skeptical.
The album is divided into two discs, both of which could have easily fit into one. This seemed more than a little pretentious to me - especially given Yamagata's explanation that the songs on the second disc would "break the beauty" of the first disc.
The first disc consists entirely of dark, slow, vulnerable ballads, while the second is a five-track collection of gritty, up-tempo rock songs. The decision to segregate the fast and slow tracks results in an album a more pop-oriented reviewer might say has pacing issues and is extremely pretentious.
However, the final result suggests an artist that refuses to compromise her vision, and the point is rendered moot when you listen closely and notice that all the songs on either disc are killer.
The ballads of the first disc are slow but stirring, employing orchestral strings, piano and guitar, and Yamagata's vulnerable and introspective vocals and lyrics.
Standouts include the opener and title track, "Elephants," throughout which the lyrics conjure bloody safari imagery, ending with Yamagata breathing the final lines, "So for those of you falling in love / keep it kind, keep it good, keep it right / throw yourself in the midst of danger / but keep one eye open at night."
"Sunday Afternoon" is another highlight, blending an electric guitar with the mix of strings and woodwinds for a dark, eerie sound, but it's Yamagata's voice that takes center-stage here. As the song reaches its climax, the emotion in her voice is palpable, delivering the lyrics, "I'm not gonna live for you, or die for you / won't do anything anymore for you / 'cause you leave me here on the other side" in a tortured, raspy plea.
Many of the songs work with concepts, such as "Duet," in which guest vocalist Ray Lamontagne takes the role of a man abandoning his lover. Yamagata plays the woman awaiting his return.
The album is divided into two discs, both of which could have easily fit into one. This seemed more than a little pretentious to me - especially given Yamagata's explanation that the songs on the second disc would "break the beauty" of the first disc.
The first disc consists entirely of dark, slow, vulnerable ballads, while the second is a five-track collection of gritty, up-tempo rock songs. The decision to segregate the fast and slow tracks results in an album a more pop-oriented reviewer might say has pacing issues and is extremely pretentious.
However, the final result suggests an artist that refuses to compromise her vision, and the point is rendered moot when you listen closely and notice that all the songs on either disc are killer.
The ballads of the first disc are slow but stirring, employing orchestral strings, piano and guitar, and Yamagata's vulnerable and introspective vocals and lyrics.
Standouts include the opener and title track, "Elephants," throughout which the lyrics conjure bloody safari imagery, ending with Yamagata breathing the final lines, "So for those of you falling in love / keep it kind, keep it good, keep it right / throw yourself in the midst of danger / but keep one eye open at night."
"Sunday Afternoon" is another highlight, blending an electric guitar with the mix of strings and woodwinds for a dark, eerie sound, but it's Yamagata's voice that takes center-stage here. As the song reaches its climax, the emotion in her voice is palpable, delivering the lyrics, "I'm not gonna live for you, or die for you / won't do anything anymore for you / 'cause you leave me here on the other side" in a tortured, raspy plea.
Many of the songs work with concepts, such as "Duet," in which guest vocalist Ray Lamontagne takes the role of a man abandoning his lover. Yamagata plays the woman awaiting his return.
