REVIEW: The Rentals, Seven More Minutes (Maverick)
- Chris Hill
A bouncy, effervescent travelogue of Matt Sharp's last few years spent journeying around the U.S., the U.K., and Spain, the sophomore effort by The Rentals nimbly dodges a second album jinx. Not surprising - Sharp cut his musical chops as Weezer's bassist, and the roster of talent both in the Rentals and guesting herein have two dozen-plus albums to their credit. A follow-on to the mega-successful Return of the Rentals, with its then-inescapable pop gem "Friends of P", Seven More Minutes contains quite a few nuggets of its own.
"Getting By", an energetic, loopy song, opens the album. Embracing the now, learning from his younger companions, Sharp sings "lately I've felt like an old fat man/With her I lie and say "I'm a young fool"...We got nothing in common that I can see/ We drink on, we drink on, we drink on.../and get by". Again imbibing the half-full portion of the cup of life, Sharp sings on "The Cruise": "Optimistic right now, maybe I am/I know how so many people hate that/They'd rather see you lose/And drag you in the hole they're into".
Shiny, happy hedonists - Sharp and others - provide the album's lyrical marrow. The pleasure of living in the moment, the seeming contradiction of losing and finding oneself at the same time, the fear of growing old, a love for the young and carefree - all themes that pop up throughout the album. It's a fly on the wall viewpoint: not uncomfortably so, however, as the lessons learned are taken to heart and endearingly backed with upbeat, poppy music: the frenzied "Insomnia", the Teletubby-like chorus on "Say Goodbye Forever" (elegantly provided by Elastica bassist Donna Matthews), the shout-along "Big Daddy C", the rocking "Keep Sleeping", the contemplative "Hello, Hello". Examples abound among the fifteen tracks.
"Big Daddy C", another monogrammatic character, contains references to their breakthrough hit, "Friends of P" - the P revealed to be Paulina Porizkova, model and wife of ex-Cars singer and producer Ric Ocasek. "Big Daddy C" layers an ambling drum beat and heavy bass over sing-song rhythms for a similarly infectious tune.
Penning all the songs except one, Sharp manages to share equal footing with all the album contributors. The divinely delicate vocals of (now-defunct) that dog member Petra Haden add a winsome innocence to eight of the fifteen tracks. Mixed on a par with Sharp's vocals, many of her songs seem like duets. Also given room on the stage: Miki Berenyi (of the sadly disbanded Lush), Maya Rudolph, Tim Wheeler (Ash), Damon Albarn (Blur), and Sharon McConochie. Rod Cervera (guitars) and Jim Richards (moog/arp synthesizers) return, along with Haden, from the first Rentals album. Weezer frontman and ex-bandmate Rivers Cuomo appears with a co-writing credit on the idyllic, Pink Floyd-tinged cut "My Head is In The Sun".
If you were lured in by the first record, prepare to be trapped by this one. More information to be found at http://www.therentals.net/
