“The Else” (Idlewild)
Interpol
“Our Love To Admire” (Capitol)
Rock purists frequently dismiss pop music without guitars. How, they question, can creativity be achieved through synthesizers and samples, forgoing strings and drums? Yet heavily-hyped records from two alternative pop mainstays, seminal dweeb-rockers They Might Be Giants and the moody young guns of Interpol, prove that fresh ideas can escape even the most traditional rockers.
The 12th studio album from They Might Be Giants is titled “The Else,” but there is nothing on record which could be considered a derivation from the duo’s fallback sound. Brimming with talent, musicians John Linnell and John Flansburgh seamlessly blend a volley of styles into their quirky universe, jumping from children’s ditties to punk rock to bar stomp and back again.
Unfortunately, although the group has developed many career peaks, the latest effort suffers, as some of the spottier releases have — too much experimentation sans results. After the frantic opener “I’m Impressed,” there is little content to retain. Forgettable hooks abound; wacky instrumentation and absurd lyrics do little to distract from the feeling that the duo is simply treading water when writing tunes.
The same feeling of boredom haunts the new release by NYC mainstays Interpol. Although they have released two great albums in their young career, 2002’s “Turn On The Bright Lights” and 2004’s “Antics,” the band has been dogged by lazy critics’ accusations of idea theft from 1970s post-punks Joy Division, due to the similar baritones of Interpol’s frontman Paul Banks and JD lyricist Ian Curtis.
Perhaps to dodge comparisons, Interpol flipped the less-is-more approach to songwriting to create the more important “Our Love To Admire,” complete with thick instrumentation and forays into moody instrumentals. The problem? So much time seems to have been used plotting how to make an artistic statement that the foundation behind the songs is thin. Leadoff single “The Heinrich Maneuver” is perhaps the most traditional Interpol tune, putting Banks’ rich voice and stream-of-consciousness lyrics out front. Yet the momentum from this track is not sustained as many cuts, such as the movie score-esque “Wrecking Ball,” the undercooked “Lighthouse” and the creepy, overwrought “No I In Threesome,” fail to bring any thunder.
Ultimately, both groups succumb to lazy excess, a circuitous route around songwriting. But if audiences remain apathetic to their new releases, it will become clear that melodies are what the people want, no matter how unimportant they may seem.
Still need hip indie rock? Bill suggests the great new Spoon disc, “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” for your fix. E-mail him at williamjearl@gmail.com.