Singer preview

Singer
Subterranean, Chicago
Friday, February 22, 2008

There’s a classic part (or two) in This Is Spinal Tap where Nigel, David, and Derek attempt to harmonize their vocals while singing “Heartbreak Hotel,” inspired by the fact they’re visiting The King’s grave. It’s hard, when listening to Singer’s Unhistories (Drag City), not to think about that scene.

Mind you, it’s not because the four band members (Robert A.A. Lowe, Todd Rittman, Adam Vida, and Ben Vida) of Singer are bumbling, stumbling idiots, only because so much of Unhistories is spent on some awe-inspiring three- and four-part harmonies. It’s hard to imagine how many takes must have went into tracks like like “Oh Dusty” and “Dumb Smoke”.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of interesting stuff going on beyond the band’s four-frontmen lineup. Coincidentally, Singer made its initial impression touring with Battles and borrow some of that band’s chaotic personality, though the band skip Battles’ crush on electric gadgetry for a straightforward guitar-drums-bass lineup. The problem is too often the players behind those instruments seem to have no connection with each other, like each member recorded in a different studio, or worse yet, like the parts weren’t even written with the same tune in mind.

Singer and De Triomphe open for Make Believe.

– Trevor Fisher

Click here for streaming samples of Singer.

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly