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Sometimes music can be broken down into mathematical equations.
Not only in the sublime sense that Johann Sebastian Bach
worked with ascending and conversely descending scales, but also
in more primal ways. Take AM for instance. I could break
this review down into a description that was something of this
sort: The Strokes - ridiculous New York attitude + Dr.
Atmo's Lights style grooves + White Stripes musicality
- White Stripes attitude - over exaggerated garage band style
crap = AM. Simple mathematics, really.
"Life For Sale" kicks off these 8 songs in high energy,
rock mayhem style - complete with the album title mantra "Francophiles
and skinny ties…" Drawing more from The Jam than
from NY's newest and hippest for "InTheCity", AM slows
things down a bit and adds a large amount of pure musicianship
that is sometimes lacking from their peers' garage heavy sludge
rock. "Sex N Drugs" is more English sounding than a
lot of newer English bands, and belies AM's Brooklyn roots. More
English again on "King Cobra", I really begin to question
the Francophiles comments and wonder where they grabbed on to
that. The NYC experimentalism comes through just a bit on the
minute thirty-three of "Far Fall". It's brimming with
noisy guitars and a strange shipwreck drumbeat, all married up
nicely over some very groovy-in-a-twisted-sense bass line. Talking
Heads, anyone? The production on these songs is clean and
bright, every instrument distinctly holding it's own in the overall
sound of the record. And unfortunately, the record is over before
you realize it, leaving the yearning for more of this new style
garage rock - the kind of brilliant rock that will finally make
the Swedes stand up and once again take notice of the USA.
If there was to be a street battle for the heart of NYC between
The Strokes and AM, my bet would most definitely be on AM. Rock
it out, New York cats!
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. Life For Sale
2. InTheCity (NYC)
3. Sex N Drugs
4. Monster Heart
5. King Cobra
6. Far Fall
7. Quiet N Dayglo
8. Bloodshot
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