REVIEW: Grant Lee Buffalo, Jubilee (Slash/Warner Bros.)
- Scott Slonaker
After the departure of original bassist and producer Paul Kimble following Grant Lee Buffalo's third album, 1996's Copperopolis, I must admit that I was not very optimistic about the band's chances for survival; Kimble seemed to be the master conceptualist behind the band. After the kinks were worked out in 1993's embryonic Fuzzy, his vision was largely responsible for the fascinating concept album Mighty Joe Moon (1994). Despite a minor radio hit ("Mockingbirds"), both Moon and the dense if eventually rewarding Copperopolis kept GLB at cult status. So, it was with a heavy heart that I read of Kimble's departure.
But Grant Lee Buffalo, thanks to frontman Grant Lee Phillips, soldiered on, and it's a good thing they did. Jubilee manages to retain every iota of the band's unique aesthetic, and the appointment of an outside producer, Paul Fox, results in a finely crafted pop sheen that adds worlds of accessibility.
Phillips might be the greatest singer in modern rock today. His voice can soar from a husky Neil Diamond croon to an angelic falsetto in a heartbeat, and the translucent sheets of art-rock guitar that accompany his voice provide many a moment of catharsis. Drummer Joey Peters and new bassist Dan Rothschild (ex-Tonic) are as steady as can be, adding to what almost constitutes a Spectorian wall of sound.
The first five tracks are without peer; every last one possesses a drop-dead falsetto vocal hook that would make Brian Wilson smiley smile. "APB" rattles the speakers like any good rock tune can. "Seconds" has a folkish feel. The first single, "Truly, Truly", dispenses with the normal college-literate bent of Phillips' lyrics for a straight-out attempt at seduction. No wonder it's been a perfect fit at the increasingly female-targeted modern rock radio format. The Wallflowers' Rami Jaffee supplies B3 organ on the churchly "Testimony", one of the record's best tracks.
From there, Jubilee spreads out a bit. The twangy, country-campfire title track is certainly different from what we usually hear from the band. Singer/songwriter/professional eccentric Robyn Hitchcock adds vocals on "My, My, My" and "The Shallow End".Pop gremlin Jon Brion, late of Jellyfish, shows up all over, adding flavoring ranging from vibraphone to chamberlain to tack piano to the '70s children's toy called the Optigan(!). The album's second half seems content with experimenting with the rustic half of the band's aesthetic. Greg Leisz, who has worked with a variety of acts, adds pedal steel here and there.
Jubilee's newfound accessibility makes it the best place to get acquainted with one of America's best and most underrated rock bands. No other band is modern music quite walks the line between "Americana" acts such as Wilco and Whiskeytown and mods in the vein of Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead. Without a doubt, another for the Best of 1998 listings.
