Frank Black
Teenager Of The Year
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NATN Recommended
Frank Black
Teenager Of The Year
4AD/Elektra, 1994
RiYL: Pixies, Sonic Youth, They Might Be Giants, The Beatles |
Teenager Of The Year moves through so many phases that it delves deeply into Black's songwriting style. It has a similar feel to The Beatles in that the immense number of songs (in varied musical styles) paint an accurate picture of the artists in their respective phases.
Tracks one and two are short (1:34 and 1:33) rockers -- the type of songs Black wrote in his early days with the Pixies that have since inspired the likes of Nirvana.
Then Black shows his knack for simple pop songs. The cute science fiction feel of "Abstract Plain" and the southern California swagger of "Calistan" show the man at his classic self, reminiscent of his solo debut. "The Vanishing Spies" improves upon this theme, sounding almost like something Liz Phair would write.
"Speedy Marie" is Black's classic love song, dissolving into an anagram that spells out the name of his sweetie, Jean Marie Walsh. "Freedom Rock" posits a very believable Black character into a record shop where the owners try to give him advice to no avail: "What's all I listen to? / It's all 'Freedom Rock'!"
By the middle of the album, Black turns on his thinking cap and starts churning out songs that defy rock conventions in terms of song construction and subject matter but manage to hold their own. "Two Reelers" defends the Three Stooges in a choppy but exciting tune that juxtaposes different rhythms for the verse, chorus and middle eight, then breaks into a chord progression just catchy enough for a guitar solo on the fadeout.
"The Hostess With The Mostest" starts off with a hook that seems just a little too big for its time signature, then breaks into a catchy, but ultimately different, verse hook. There is no chorus, per se. But after the second verse, the song disintegrates into a more accessible bit that only runs through once, but basically kicks ass (how many songs go "verse-solo-verse-chorus"?).
"Superabound," Teenager's best track, starts with hushed, piano-backed, vocals that lead into its middle section of dueling keyboards and guitars, where Black reveals one of the his best pop riffs ever.
Then, Frank ends the record with a series of songs confirming his interest in matters of the obscure: "Big Red" (about the colonization of Mars) and "Space Is Gonna Do Me Good" (self-explanatory) lead toward a tune about his right to be included in the fraternity of truck drivers and a calculated manic paean to architect David Vincent. He closes with "Pie In The Sky," which describes intergalactic travel in simple terms and approximates its feel with hyper-loud vocals and a jumpy rhythm.
Baring all on this record, Frank Black almost defined his future success in one stroke. Unlike the adventurous Beatles, Black was not exactly world-renowned when he produced this album of great revolutionary thought and import. Though he has continued to release great records, he has not since made a record with as much information or ambition. The perfect expression of a pop genius.
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.