Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Let It Sway"
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin’s latest got me thinking of Willem de Kooning. Not that Let It Sway’s neat cover is reminiscent of abstract expressionist painting - it’s actually a photograph. And neither is the music expressionistic. Rather, the fact that SSLYBY specializes in indie guitar pop brought to mind something de Kooning said about artists “inventing the harpsichord”. According to art critic Harold Rosenberg, de Kooning believed that “even creating a thing that had already been invented was an act of creation.”
And isn’t that a doubly true concept of not only to SSLYBY but all indie guitar pop bands for whom songwriting perfection is the ultimate goal? It is part of their natural growth as bands that they have to invent harpsichords in order to arrive at their own originality and discover what it is that they will contribute to a formidable genre that has its American roots in Big Star and British roots in The Buzzcocks.
Let It Sway is the Missouri foursome’s third album and the one where they appear to have come to grips that songwriting perfection should not be the goal in and of itself. This is why on Let It Sway they’ve surrendered production duties to Death Cab For Cutie guitarist Chris Walla and Beau Sorenson, the in-house producer at Smart Studios where Sway was recorded (and some infamous albums from the ‘90s were recorded: Nevermind and Gish). On Let It Sway they’ve decided to just play and shoot - if not for Replacements sloppiness - at least a looseness not previously heard on their studio work. The welcome result is an album that reflects their live sound.
The songwriting duo of guitarist/vocalist John Cardwell and drummer/vocalist Phil Dickey prove repeatedly on Let It Sway that they’ve mastered the craft of inventing harpsichords. Opening with the well-placed 'Back In The Saddle', the band sings mostly about meeting the right mate. These songs are about more than one night stands. On 'Saddle' the singer is looking to "build a street that’s perfect", 'My Terrible Personality' talks of "when we have a baby obsessed with death and grief", and 'Made To Last' - with its '60s longing and solo Harrison outro - states "I'm going to be with you 'til my last days." These songs are guys looking for mates to grow old with. There's even a song about marriage here.
Listen carefully to Let it Sway and you’ll hear Whip Smart-era Liz Phair, Wilco, The Pixies, and The Pretenders. I think it’s to SSLYBY’s credit that the bands they quote are not always descendent indie guitar pop bands. But that’s also why I’m only giving Let It Sway an 8. As good as Let It Sway is – there’s not a cracked cut in the dozen here – I think SSLYBY’s perfect album is still ahead of them. They’ve learned how to make harpsichords, now they need to do something I’ll call "inventing the de Kooning" because de Kooning – coming from an impoverished upbringing – originally set out to master a craft and wound up an artist.
I believe SSLYBY are reaching a stage where they add onto that formidable genre known as indie guitar pop. Like Robyn Hitchcock added his hens and quirky guitar solos to the genre, like The Libertines gave us well-crafted abandon that fully mirrored the band’s lifestyle, I expect Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin’s next one will separate the heat from the draft.
