REVIEW: Joan of Arc, Live in Chicago 1999 (Jade Tree)
- Andrew Duncan
Joan of Arc's latest release may frighten those who hate to buy live albums. But the deception lies in the title, which is the only aspect to draw from the traditional definition of a live album. Nary is there a collection of greatest hits played to a group of screaming fans.
The only thing that you will hear on this album is experimentation through the use of a multi-track studio. Tim Kinsella (vocals, guitars, bass, piano, the whole shebang) wanted to make the liveliest album a studio project has ever seen. And he has succeeded - somewhat.
The ex-member of post-punkers Cap'n Jazz and native Chicagoan, Kinsella has emerged from the Tortoise and Flying Saucer Attack clique and developed a combination mixture of Spaceman 3-style droning with neo-folk rock. With the help of Jeremy Boyle (keyboards, computers, bass) and Todd Mattei (guitar and bass), the CD begins with subtle guitar hums that is as groggy as waking from a deep sleep. Slowly the song intriguingly titled "It's easier to drink on an empty stomach than eat on a broken heart" unfolds like an alien emerging from a science fiction film. The music blends well, transitioning to "Who's afraid of Elizabeth Taylor?" which leaves an edgy scenario while an acoustic guitar creates an alchemist viewpoint.
However, things change when Kinselia adds vocals to the music, which tends to leave a whiny aftertaste. And "(I'm 5 senses) none of them common" is almost unbearable, alternating from a rat-a-tat snare drum onslaught to whimsical pubescent vocal squawks.
Luckily, the band relapses back to drony territory, and the prolonged jams seem to be the things that matter the most. The band is precise and talented with an ear for soothing sounds, only when the music is missing words.
