Ted Leo/Pharmacists
Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead
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Ted Leo
Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead
Lookout!, 2003
RiYL: Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, the Finn Bros. |
But Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead ended up as an insightful disc that really should join the record collection of any Leo fan, and really probably anyone reading this. The New Jerseyian with the high-pitched voice and the lightning-quick strumming hand has emerged over the course of his two most recent albums as one of indie rock’s brightest lights. His knack for melody, meter and message have quickly forged an impressive catalog of songs miles beyond his also well-regarded earlier work with Chisel and the Sin Eaters.
On its cover, this EP seems a slapdash collection of tracks. There’s the title song, pulled straight off Hearts Of Oak, a solo version of the Hearts cut "The High Party," three new originals and three random covers. But crucially, the disc illuminates Leo’s songwriting and also his style in a way that his full-length albums do not. By sequestering himself away from the Pharmacists, Ted reveals his essence, in a raw but instantly likeable form.
"The High Party" shows off his impressive sense of timing -- with just voice and guitar, he’s able to capture pretty much all of the song’s nuances. He stays true to the band version, not compromising the song for the different medium, but still expressing its energy.
The covers -- Ewan McColl's "Dirty Old Town," the Jam's "Ghosts" and Split Enz's "Six Months In A Leaky Boat" -- serve as a tribute to some of Leo's influences, and go a long way to excavate the sources of his style. The arrangements find him swinging back and forth between contemplative passages, flowing narrative and climactic bursts of rock, again still capturing the varying energies deftly with his simple tools.
Finally, the three new compositions show that Leo is not slowing down. All three have anthemic qualities, led off by the emphatic downstrokes of "The Sword In The Stone," which teaches a misguided subject about the ins and outs of independence in under two minutes. "Bleeding Powers" explores Leo’s mid-range, his chugging rhythm supporting the lamentations of a character infected with drunken wanderlust; over and over crying "The road leads me somewhere, but it's not yet to your door." Thirdly, "Loyal To My Sorrowful Country," in which the protagonist refutes the title, is like an epilogue to Hearts Of Oak’s centerpiece, "The Ballad Of The Sin Eater." Leo's confused patriot wants something to believe in, but his many travels leave him disillusioned with his homeland. Still, at song's end he stands resolute, believing at least in himself and his own convictions, no longer as fungible as they once were.
So clearly, this release is not nearly as substantial as Leo's two essential records with the Pharmacists. But it does show another side of this rising rock star, and is therefore most definitely worth the time of anyone interested in his music. Plus, the man seems to always be touring, and these songs have taken roost in his setlists. When he comes to your town, you wanna be prepared, dontcha?
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.