It's all here. All the bits and pieces that make NIN what it is are all present and accounted for: clever synth-work, strange electronically assembled choirs, traveling percussion, distorted syncopation, wandering and funky basslines, and high-pitched piano-esque leads that arrive without warning to punch through the mix only to leave just as abruptly. And let's not forget that Trent's been rapping in that deep deadpan "don't care worth a damn" voice ever since "Down In It" first hit the airwaves.
There is the the time-tested formula of brutal, punishing verses of ascending screams and fuzzy guitar work, climaxing to absolute insanity, breaking down to near silence, and building up to another explosion of noise. And there are the exceptions to the rule: the slow, soulful groove-centric songs aching with beautiful emotional oblivion.
Fortunately, perhaps taking a tip from the critics, or (most likely) following his own desire to always expand his horizons, Trent's taken the signature sound in new directions, going so far as to add echoes of spaghetti-Western guitar twang, funky synth-bass, and hints of trip-hop and jungle.
The only real downside to The Fragile are the songs that are par for the course, but are lost among the songs that shine with brilliance, technical prowess, and fine execution. Trent could have middled the 2-CD, 23-song set down to one disc - but would a white quartz shine as brightly if not the the grey stones around it? I think not.
The noteworthy tunes are really quite remarkable. "The Day the World Went Away" is a big, fat rock epic which, in parts, has all the groove and soul of Faith No More's "Edge of the World" (and other assorted bits of "The Real Thing"). "The Frail" is an edgy ambient tune which leads quite cleanly into "The Wretched," a track which sounds like a fitting sequel to "Sanctified," from Pretty Hate Machine, with a pounding drumline, and a deep,haunting piano line.
The title track, "The Fragile," has a slow, heavy rhythm, and a chorus that'll remind you of "Piggy," from Downward Spiral. At minute 2, second 25, Trent goes off on a tangent, and delves into a cacophony of odd, dissonant, pitch-bent guitar. The tune picks up again into a Soundgarden-esque black hole of a solo.
"Just Like You Imagined" is, in my humble opinion, the most powerful track on the whole set. This well-done instrumental piece starts off with some understated, minimalist tribal percussion. A slick cascade of piano introduces a bit of silence, then a lead screams right into the mix, the percussion starts up again, and then layer by layer, more and more guitar and synth work is added until, sadly, the song ends too soon, just as quietly as it began.
A true trip-hop tune, "Even Deeper" has some very clever percussion, syncopating and fumbling over itself, a set of big, flowing, sad strings, and filtered echo guitar filling out the mix. The trip-hop tricks pause appropriately for Trent's signature power-chord guitar & screaming vocal choruses.
At this point, disc "Left" delves into some more sheer noise, some bubble-gum Industrial ala Stabbing Westward on "No, You Don't", a bit of ambient featuring an upright bass on "La Mer", and an understated outro.
Onto disc "Right" we go. Following the introduction of "The Way Out is Through," "Into the Void" starts with some odd, metallic, tribal percussion, and an uncharacteristic bit of cello work (Trent? cello?). The tune stumbles right into some slick drum work and a funky synth-bass line that cruises down Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue," bobbing its head all the way.
Next up is "Where is Everybody," a song in which Trent apparently actually sings, instead of simply screaming in tune. The chorusis a forced rhyme which shouldn't work, but has an undeniably catchy cadence. "Please" could have just as easily appeared on the Smashing Pumpkins' next outing, with a really clean and funky pluck-and-slap bassline, and a sing-songy chorus with an infectious rock progression.
Despite its unfortunate title and chorus, there's a lot going on within the overstated angst of "Starf*ckers, Inc." Trent does this trick with his voice in the verses, wherein he has clearly sampled his voice, cut it up, and sequenced each bit deliberately, precisely in line with the rhythm. What you get is an awesome, inhuman, robotic effect. Besides that, there's some great rhythm work on this track, and guitar lines that'll pick you up and get you slam-dancing.
Then, the second disc wanders for several tracks, exploring sounds akin to Garbage's 2.0, some strange machine-noise, whistling vocals, and clean omniscient synths. "Underneath it all" gets back to business. This track is somewhat like "Mr. Self Destruct" on Downward Spiral, but less punishing and with a much better executed layer of vocals. A good eight or nine Trent-clones pile one atop the other, phasing their way right above the rest ofthe mix. "Ripe (with Decay)" is fitting end to the two discs, with little to no percussion, and an acoustic calmly plucking itsway towards distraction.
There's lots to like about The Fragile. There's also plenty to upset and disturb your average listener. It's a fair bet that long-time fans of Nine Inch Nails will be willing to negate the bad, and focus on the bits of genius scattered about the two discs. Everyone else previewing a few tracks of disc "Left" in their local record store will probably be disappointed and ask kindly to havethe album put back on the shelves.
In either case, it's clear that Trent Reznor has stood up once again to the challenge of being one of the noisiest, strangest, and truly experimental among the veterans electronic music.
