REVIEW: Pop Unknown, If Arsenic Fails, Try Algebra (Deep Elm)
- Andrew Duncan
Rising from the ashes of Austin-based bands Mineral, Imbroco and Feed Lucy, Pop Unknown breathes life into their music with an unrelentless pursuit of emotion and care into the songs that they create. If Arsenic Fails... is the documentary.
The band gave a sample of their talents with the 1999 E.P. Summer Season Kills, and five songs was all it took to get hooked into their beautiful melodies and solid noisy guitar constructions, creating a comfortable balance.
With If Arsenic Fails..., the band takes eleven songs to dig deeper into expressionism and pull out a collection of intimate tunes.
The first song, "Head in the Sand," is a powerful introduction to say the least. Simple driving chords willow around Tim Lasater's words that all come together in the chorus ("One step back, you've faded off again"). The song transforms into a majestic ending with Lasater changing the words to "One step better, one step closer to the end." The lyrics melt in the air, allowing anyone to walk away with something meaningful.
Lasater takes elements of Paul Westerberg's Replacements days minus the Reaganism, the feeling of My Bloody Valentine or The Church and the most important aspect - experience - and creates a sincerity not heard in many pop-rock bands. The words take you inside his mind and lets you experience love's conflicts, introspection and life itself.
Pop Unknown plays '80s-style pop in a '90s post-hardcore world. The band is most dominant playing delicate lullabies. "An Offering," conveys this with Casper Eckois' bass keeping the song moving forward. The bottom drops out and leaves you weightless. "Lonely Here With Me" is equally as sobering. "Fallen Star" wanders into a dream state with soft melodies floating while one guitar chord chimes out with an echo effect. The band makes a final note with the ending instrumental "Forward=Rewind," a soft farewell that leaves you one step closer and one step farther from the truth.
There is a lot to take in, and the best way to experience this album is to dim the lights, relax and listen.
