Blake Solomon
01/11/09, 07:38 PM
Inkwell - Flotsam EP
Record Label: One Eleven Records
Release Date: December 30, 2008
Surprisingly enough, Flotsam isn’t a fake word. I just assumed Inkwell, a band known for their slightly zany love of language, had taken the fetish one step further and gone all Webster on us. (Great job, idiot!) The term is actually a super fancy way of saying trash or garbage or the junk your girlfriend threw out when she realized your “job” consisted of, well, nothing at all. In this case, Inkwell’s junk is some b-sides from past records and a couple of sneak peeks into the band’s forthcoming album, aptly named Rivers of Blood and Sadness, Or Maybe Happy. Sadly, this EP’s title is a little too descriptive as Flotsam contains a hodgepodge of mehs and sighs.
At least the tracks from Rivers sound somewhat intriguing. “Blaze and Glory” evolves into a Further Seems Forever-type chorus of darkness and deep thought. If Inkwell can be described as anything, it’s introspective. Although, the newly penned lyrics are a bit lacking; “Don’t you go wasting time / on useless things like updated fashion” somehow precedes lines like “I can’t forgive myself / for being a little boring.” A new and slightly foreboding atmosphere saves the song from complete ineptitude. “Coal Minors in Major” is an acoustic-led track perfectly content in being musically light and emotionally heavy. More “Let’s think universally!” lyrics can be found here: “Dirty secrets / keep you safe at night / Hallelujah.” I mean, yeah, I guess? But whatever, the song’s chorus has trumpets and “Da Da Da’s”; classical instrumentation tends to excite me. If anything is clear by these two songs, it’s that we can expect lots of blood and sadness on the new album. Happiness has clearly shit the bed.
And then the actual problems start. “A New Low in High Concept” has organs and a sour but harmless mood. This song didn’t make the cut for These Stars are Monsters, and that’s just fine with me. “Slumped Down and Rowdy” is a curious choice since the album it wasn’t good enough for hasn’t surfaced yet. Keys that would sound creepy in anyone else’s hands subdue the track’s pulsing drums and earnest acoustic strumming. These two songs are barely okay, which is strange: The build-ups and hooks are there. The “I can predict your musical thoughts" cohesion of the duo’s writing is there. Everything is technically there, but as you probably guessed, something’s missing. (Most noticeably, the vocals lack “oomph.”) Chaos Reveals Rhyme b-side “Deciding August” shows how it used to be done. Even though the track saunters along slowly and predictably, Inkwell put considerable feeling behind their words. It’s a ballad that moves with a swift assuredness.
Flotsam’s two new songs are considerably different fare from Inkwell and their brand of slightly synthesized, over dramatized indie rock. Rivers of Blood and Sadness, Or Maybe Happy will be an intensely intriguing album. A sonic shift was inevitable; These Stars are Monsters was all about the transitory times in life. Now the band discusses what happens after you’ve made a *gasp* permanent decision. Consequences and relationships are the focus - nothing new, I agree - but solving these problems like Interpol at a Brand New concert should greatly aid the band in their everlasting search for a caring audience.
Recommended If You Like: One Small Step for Landmines, Rory, meanderings, My Hotel Year, "oh look over there"'s
www.myspace.com/inkwell
Record Label: One Eleven Records
Release Date: December 30, 2008
Surprisingly enough, Flotsam isn’t a fake word. I just assumed Inkwell, a band known for their slightly zany love of language, had taken the fetish one step further and gone all Webster on us. (Great job, idiot!) The term is actually a super fancy way of saying trash or garbage or the junk your girlfriend threw out when she realized your “job” consisted of, well, nothing at all. In this case, Inkwell’s junk is some b-sides from past records and a couple of sneak peeks into the band’s forthcoming album, aptly named Rivers of Blood and Sadness, Or Maybe Happy. Sadly, this EP’s title is a little too descriptive as Flotsam contains a hodgepodge of mehs and sighs.
At least the tracks from Rivers sound somewhat intriguing. “Blaze and Glory” evolves into a Further Seems Forever-type chorus of darkness and deep thought. If Inkwell can be described as anything, it’s introspective. Although, the newly penned lyrics are a bit lacking; “Don’t you go wasting time / on useless things like updated fashion” somehow precedes lines like “I can’t forgive myself / for being a little boring.” A new and slightly foreboding atmosphere saves the song from complete ineptitude. “Coal Minors in Major” is an acoustic-led track perfectly content in being musically light and emotionally heavy. More “Let’s think universally!” lyrics can be found here: “Dirty secrets / keep you safe at night / Hallelujah.” I mean, yeah, I guess? But whatever, the song’s chorus has trumpets and “Da Da Da’s”; classical instrumentation tends to excite me. If anything is clear by these two songs, it’s that we can expect lots of blood and sadness on the new album. Happiness has clearly shit the bed.
And then the actual problems start. “A New Low in High Concept” has organs and a sour but harmless mood. This song didn’t make the cut for These Stars are Monsters, and that’s just fine with me. “Slumped Down and Rowdy” is a curious choice since the album it wasn’t good enough for hasn’t surfaced yet. Keys that would sound creepy in anyone else’s hands subdue the track’s pulsing drums and earnest acoustic strumming. These two songs are barely okay, which is strange: The build-ups and hooks are there. The “I can predict your musical thoughts" cohesion of the duo’s writing is there. Everything is technically there, but as you probably guessed, something’s missing. (Most noticeably, the vocals lack “oomph.”) Chaos Reveals Rhyme b-side “Deciding August” shows how it used to be done. Even though the track saunters along slowly and predictably, Inkwell put considerable feeling behind their words. It’s a ballad that moves with a swift assuredness.
Flotsam’s two new songs are considerably different fare from Inkwell and their brand of slightly synthesized, over dramatized indie rock. Rivers of Blood and Sadness, Or Maybe Happy will be an intensely intriguing album. A sonic shift was inevitable; These Stars are Monsters was all about the transitory times in life. Now the band discusses what happens after you’ve made a *gasp* permanent decision. Consequences and relationships are the focus - nothing new, I agree - but solving these problems like Interpol at a Brand New concert should greatly aid the band in their everlasting search for a caring audience.
Recommended If You Like: One Small Step for Landmines, Rory, meanderings, My Hotel Year, "oh look over there"'s
www.myspace.com/inkwell