Albums by this artist

Bright Flight + the Tennessee EP (2001)

American Water (1998)

Silver Jews

American Water

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» BEN FRENCH | CO-DIRECTOR

Silver Jews American Water Drag City, 1998 RiYL: Pavement, Johnny Cash, Wilco

There is something in the attitude and tone of the Silver Jews' music that make them seem oddly wholesome, especially when compared to the jaded tude of its indie sister group Pavement. But the American Water LP really shows how the group can move around and beyond both the alt-country and California-indie rock stereotypes without sounding overly repetitive or cliched.

Enjoy the rather un-folky lyrics of songs like "The Wild Kindness," where David Berman states, "I died my hair in a motel void (and) met the coroner of the Dreamgate Frontier." Or try "People" and its wah-wah seasoned strut for a funky and somehow unsurprising parallel to more flaccid post-rock outfits like The Sea & Cake.

But this is hardly cocktail music. Steven Malkmus' guitar reeks of Neil Young most times, and Berman's lyrics are best suited for a old-fashioned night of joint smoking and Budweiser guzzling. I mean, what the hell else are you going to do when a song titled "Honk If You're Lonely Tonight" comes on?

There aren't really any true stand-out tracks on American Water, but the one-two punch of the second side's "Send In The Clouds" and "Like Like The The The Death" offer loyal rock listeners something to ruminate over.

The first is a well-balanced, 4/4 rocker that makes its exit with the band oddly chanting: "Soi disantra." And on the other, treble-favored finger picking is accompanied perfectly by a monotone voice, as the band comes out of the stop-start verse and begins to swim in the more fluid chorus. Here the group forces skulls to start nodding by playing repeated three-note riffs stacked on top of each other, glued together beautifully by organ and drums.

The guitar solo in the middle of "The Wild Kindness," and the closing jam of "Blue Arrangements" are also fantastic, full of guts and raw energy. Moreover, the album's entire instrumentation seems to pick up on traditional rock's finer elements and re-apply them to tunes better suited for country living in the next century.

True: Not every tune on the album is a classic -- "Federal Dust" and "We Are Real " are pretty forgettable songs -- but they all add something to the album's final composition: a balanced record and an enjoyable one at that. A fantastic album for the late night.

BEN FRENCH | Ben founded NATN in the winter of 1998-1999 with fellow IU alums Troy Carpenter and Jonathan Cohen. During the day time, he's working for Nielsen Business Media, publisher of Billboard. Ben's favorite acts include Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Sonic Youth, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys.