Music Banter - View Single Post - Brad Stengel's Magical Musical Orgy of Sound

Brad Stengel · 10-27-2008, 03:51 PM

#24

Neutral Milk Hotel
"On Avery Island"(1996)

Is there any song on the planet more fun to sing along to than "Song Against Sex"? Is there any activity more fun than asking sixteen year old scene girls to hang out, and take them racing through the center of town in your 1991 Oldsmobile going 60mph blasting this album and screaming along as she looks at you completely horrified, destroying any possible chance of hooking up?

The answer is no.

Jeff Mangum's first album has a terrific cover, one of those covers that completely visually explains the sounds hidden inside. A black and white photograph of a carnival, painted over in some places, the band's name scawled on the top. "Avery Island" is often described as a surreal carnival, and that's the best way to put it. There's lots of variety in the rides, some are slow, spooky, and let you gaze at the beauty surrounding you, some are quick, fun, and leave you confused and sick at the end.

Most people are more familiar with Mangum's follow up, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea", and I'll admit, I prefer his second album much more. But that's not to say this isn't brilliant. The same dreamlike surreal lyrics are here, the memorable melodies, and Mangum's fetish for marching band-like horn sections, are all contained, albeit in a much messier less coherent way. The best way to describe it is, "Aeroplane" is better as an album-but "Avery Island" has better single songs. You have "Song Againt Sex", "Where You'll Find Me Now", and the unmatchable, "Naomi". "Naomi" has always been my favorite song from this album, and in fact it was someone commenting that it sounded like a Pixies song around the time I got this album that made me go and buy "Surfer Rosa".

By no means do I think someone unfamiliar with Neutral Milk Hotel should get this album-get "Aeroplane". However, if you love Aeroplane as I do, this is a fantastic, and more fun Neutral Milk Hotel album, even if it isn't as emotionally heart wrenching. And although I've made this mistake this entire review, it's good to think of this album as not a predessecor of wonderful things to come, but just a great album on its own merits, because that's what it is.
89/100

10-27-2008, 03:51 PM	#27 (permalink)
Brad Stengel This Space for Rent Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 815	#24 Neutral Milk Hotel "On Avery Island"(1996) Is there any song on the planet more fun to sing along to than "Song Against Sex"? Is there any activity more fun than asking sixteen year old scene girls to hang out, and take them racing through the center of town in your 1991 Oldsmobile going 60mph blasting this album and screaming along as she looks at you completely horrified, destroying any possible chance of hooking up? The answer is no. Jeff Mangum's first album has a terrific cover, one of those covers that completely visually explains the sounds hidden inside. A black and white photograph of a carnival, painted over in some places, the band's name scawled on the top. "Avery Island" is often described as a surreal carnival, and that's the best way to put it. There's lots of variety in the rides, some are slow, spooky, and let you gaze at the beauty surrounding you, some are quick, fun, and leave you confused and sick at the end. Most people are more familiar with Mangum's follow up, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea", and I'll admit, I prefer his second album much more. But that's not to say this isn't brilliant. The same dreamlike surreal lyrics are here, the memorable melodies, and Mangum's fetish for marching band-like horn sections, are all contained, albeit in a much messier less coherent way. The best way to describe it is, "Aeroplane" is better as an album-but "Avery Island" has better single songs. You have "Song Againt Sex", "Where You'll Find Me Now", and the unmatchable, "Naomi". "Naomi" has always been my favorite song from this album, and in fact it was someone commenting that it sounded like a Pixies song around the time I got this album that made me go and buy "Surfer Rosa". By no means do I think someone unfamiliar with Neutral Milk Hotel should get this album-get "Aeroplane". However, if you love Aeroplane as I do, this is a fantastic, and more fun Neutral Milk Hotel album, even if it isn't as emotionally heart wrenching. And although I've made this mistake this entire review, it's good to think of this album as not a predessecor of wonderful things to come, but just a great album on its own merits, because that's what it is. 89/100 __________________ These is the musics I own: http://rateyourmusic.com/collection/BradStengel/oo Last edited by Brad Stengel; 10-28-2008 at 07:30 AM.