Wolf (豆瓣)

听相似歌曲

表演者: Troubles
专辑类型: 专辑
介质: CD
发行时间: 2008-04-14
出版者: Self-Released
唱片数: 1

豆瓣评分

7.6

77人评价

5星

19.2%
4星

50.0%
3星

25.0%
2星

1.9%
1星

3.8%

想听在听听过

评价:

简介 · · · · · ·

　　“Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen.” This hymn provides an apt summation of the road these band members have taken, from the suicide of their lead guitarist just prior to the release of their first record (when they were known as Hope of the States), to the struggles with Top 40 recognition and accusations of selling out, to the dissolution of the band in 2006. Some perform... (展开全部) 　　“Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen.” This hymn provides an apt summation of the road these band members have taken, from the suicide of their lead guitarist just prior to the release of their first record (when they were known as Hope of the States), to the struggles with Top 40 recognition and accusations of selling out, to the dissolution of the band in 2006. Some performers might have folded. These musicians decided instead to forge forward with a new identity, taking pride in their misfortune. Perhaps karma will bring them full circle: from a sad band with a hopeful name to a hopeful band with a sad name.
　　With two prior releases under their collective belt (2006’s eponymous debut and last year’s Sen’taur), Troubles has quickly established itself as an alternative to HOTS, rather than as a continuation. Gone are the indie guitar riffs and stadium-sized vocals; in are an increased variety of instruments and an expanded tonal range. While the early HOTS output was decidedly post-rock (check the finale of “Black Dollar Bills” for the most famous example), Troubles is more concerned with orchestral experimentation. Not that this music is inaccessible; quite the contrary. While there is nothing here as immediate as “Sing It Out,” neither is there anything the listener might have to strain to comprehend. As a fan of instrumental music, I’m happy they chose this path.
　　Few musicians are capable of making the switch from vocal-centered to instrument-centered music. The temptation is to follow the same template, resulting in instrumentals (instrumental versions of vocal songs) rather than instrumental music (that which is intentionally created without vocals). “My Yeshiva” is a prime example of the latter art. While the piece is distinctly guitar-driven, the lead guitar picks up other instruments like hitchhikers as it angles through the Mexican desert. The song shifts from building tension to propulsive action at the three-minute mark, building to a final orchestral flourish of bass drum, trumpet and violin that is stark, dramatic and intense.
　　Troubles’ desperado journeys are unlike those of Calexico in that their tone is darker – more Rodriguez than Morricone. Opener “Ayala: Para Las Brujillos” begins with dissonant cello and distant drum rolls before introducing a lone piano, which battles the cello with a rusty knife until guitars burst through the bar doors. Toward the end, drunken, wordless vocals emerge like hostile bikers, preparing us for the “Taps”-like introduction of “Furnace (Redux).” This selection builds to a calm climax in seemingly effortless fashion, shuttling us to the title cut. This “Wolf” lopes in constant vigilance for the first two and a half minutes before coming to a complete stop, as if spotting its prey. And then the hunt begins. I’m still not sure how I feel about the inclusion of an actual wolf howl, but it certainly helps to set the image. The only problem is that the track fails to culminate in any discernible fashion, and is followed by the piano-drenched “Feverland,” which possesses a jarringly different vibe.
　　While not everything on the album works well, the missteps are merely missteps, rather than travesties. “The Farwest Leader” is sound in concept, but the slow dynamism of its middle section is unpleasantly offset by the jaunty tempo of its beginning and end. “Glanton Falls” is a fine placeholder, but seems thin when extracted. “I Absence, Am Abraham” is little more than a series of near-ambient patterns. Fortunately, “St. Paul” and “Attica in Twos” provide an apt balance by offering starlit blankets of violin and bells reminiscent of Bell Orchestre. When played straight through, the album makes more sense, and these small flaws are less evident.
　　Wolf is not a happy creation, but one that is keenly aware of human nature: our baser instincts, our fears, our shames. It is, however, an album that offers understanding for our darker moods, like a compadre – in the end, more dog than wolf. Everybody yearns to be understood, and to be cherished. Sharing our troubles can lighten our load. So pack up your Troubles in an old kit bag, and smile, smile, smile.

曲目 · · · · · ·

1 Ayala por las brujillos 4:52
2 Furnace (Redux) 4:23
3 Wolf 5:19
4 Feverland 4:05
5 The Farwest Leader 4:50
6 St Paul 6:28
7 Glanton Falls 3:20
8 I Absence, Am Abraham 4:01
9 Attica in Twos 4:14
10 My Yeshiva 6:21