#322 Mr. Dream - Trash Hit

Dust'd.

Sometimes I read a review of an album before I'm done listening to it. I try not to let it influence me unduly, and sometimes it provides a nice piece of context. In this case, the dusted review called attention to the fact that this was possibly parody, calling it, in the snarkiest review of the year, the funniest album of the year. This served two purposes: 1) it helped point out the degree to which these guys are sounding like the 90's on purpose 2) it caused me, via violent disagreement with the idea that this is a "funny" album, to gain a lot of respect for it.

So, sure enough, it sounds a LOT like 90's rock. Not in the vague burgeoning indie/alternative style, but it sounds, at times, exactly like Pavement, The Jesus Lizard, The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, Ween, etc. etc. sometimes sounding really precisely like one of them at a time. It's so spot on, in the songwriting, in the production, in every detail, that is makes me smile. It makes me want to laugh. But it's not because it's funny, its because they've nailed it so hard that I am filled with glee. It's just a delightfully nailed deconstruction/recreation/homage/riffing on a style.

The actual music is, as I've hinted at, pretty good. If you like the bands I mentioned, I see no reason you wouldn't like this. But as an art object, as a perfect crystalization of a style into a single platonic 90's rock album. I keep smiling, almost laughing as I listen to it, so maybe the joke's on me after all. I'll take a smile any day though, fuck the reason. Always stay out of the intention-hole 4/5