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10/15/09 SoHo Santa Barbara, CA
Discography
10/16/09 Echoplex Los Angeles, CA 10/17/09 Crepe Place Santa Cruz,CA 10/18/09 Treasure Island Festival SF, CA 10/21/09 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR 10/22/09 Chop Suey Seattle, WA 10/23/09 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver,BC 10/24/09 Empyrean Coffee Spokane,WA 10/27/09 Cedar Cultural Minneapolis,MN 10/28/09 Turner Hall Milwaulkie, WI 10/29/09 Canopy Club Urbana, IL 10/30/09 Empty Bottle Chicago, IL 10/31/09 Cafe at Majestic Detroit, MI 11/01/09 El Mocambo Toronto, ON 11/02/09 Il Motore Montreal, Quebec 11/03/09 Middle East Cambridge, MA 11/04/09 Bowery Ballroom New York 11/05/09 1st Unitarian Church Phila, PA 11/06/09 Black Cat Washington, DC 11/07/09 Canal Club Richmond, VA 11/09/09 EARL Atlanta, Georgia 11/11/09 Warehouse Live Houston, TX 11/12/09 Mohawk Austin, TX 11/13/09 Lola’s Ft Worth, TX 11/14/09 Jake’s Lubbock, TX 11/17/09 Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ 11/18/09 Plush Tucson, AZ 11/19/09 Casbah San Diego 11/20/09 Glass House Pamona, CA
Free Download Free download "Know Better Learn Faster" at Kill Rock Stars. Know Better Learn Faster LP with digital download currently on sale for $7.99 (excellent price!) Read More |
My favorite songs are about rejection, despair, and soul-crushing loneliness. I also like songs that make you dance like an inebriated uncle. For me, these two qualities are not mutually exclusive. On Thao Nguyen’s latest album, Know Better Learn Faster, she provides me with plenty of material with which to dance/cry, a combination that I’m sure is freaking out my roommate.
Know Better Learn Faster starts off with a room full of clapping and hollering. “If this is how you want it, okay, okay,” sings Nguyen, along with a chorus of mournful voices. It’s a haunting dirge that quickly turns into a stomping hoedown, and it acts as an oddly appropriate segue into the next song, “Cool Yourself.” The chorus of voices returns for the oh-whoa-whoa refrain, and they make several appearances through out the album, providing a crowded, communal tone. It may not be a total Andrew W.K. vibe, but there’s definitely a party happening on this record.
But even at its most infectious, the album’s lyrics always hint at something slightly darker. On the rambunctious “When We Swam,” Nguyen mourns the loss of a drowned relationship, all the while luring in listeners with the instantly danceable chorus: “bring your hips, bring your hips to me.” As seen on previous album, We Brave Bee Stings and All, Nguyen showcases a recklessly bold and honest style of songwriting. “What am I, just a body in your bed?” she demands on the deceptively buoyant, “Body.” Even under a smokescreen of handclaps and cheerful sing-a-long refrains, there’s no denying the flare of aggression in her voice.
It would be easy to become overwhelmed by the album’s chaotic energy, but there are several respites from the party scattered throughout the album. “The Give” is definitely more subdued and reflective than the first four tracks, but it is by no means quiet. Taking on the persona of a family patriarch, Nguyen spins a bittersweet narrative about broken promises and tokens of regret. It seems like an unlikely interlude within such an upbeat album, but the melancholy tone weaves in and out of even the punchier songs. It’s never blatantly obvious, but it lurks in many of the songs, adding a touch of pathos to even the most rowdy choruses.
True, these songs won’t make you weep, but it’s definitely not mindlessly catchy fluff either. So whether you’re looking for something to dance around in your underwear to or something to mull over on the train ride home, you can probably find a good balance of both on this album. Either way, you won’t end up slitting your wrists or waking up to find unsavory pictures of yourself on Facebook. See? Everybody wins.
Know Better Learn Faster starts off with a room full of clapping and hollering. “If this is how you want it, okay, okay,” sings Nguyen, along with a chorus of mournful voices. It’s a haunting dirge that quickly turns into a stomping hoedown, and it acts as an oddly appropriate segue into the next song, “Cool Yourself.” The chorus of voices returns for the oh-whoa-whoa refrain, and they make several appearances through out the album, providing a crowded, communal tone. It may not be a total Andrew W.K. vibe, but there’s definitely a party happening on this record.
It would be easy to become overwhelmed by the album’s chaotic energy, but there are several respites from the party scattered throughout the album. “The Give” is definitely more subdued and reflective than the first four tracks, but it is by no means quiet. Taking on the persona of a family patriarch, Nguyen spins a bittersweet narrative about broken promises and tokens of regret. It seems like an unlikely interlude within such an upbeat album, but the melancholy tone weaves in and out of even the punchier songs. It’s never blatantly obvious, but it lurks in many of the songs, adding a touch of pathos to even the most rowdy choruses.
True, these songs won’t make you weep, but it’s definitely not mindlessly catchy fluff either. So whether you’re looking for something to dance around in your underwear to or something to mull over on the train ride home, you can probably find a good balance of both on this album. Either way, you won’t end up slitting your wrists or waking up to find unsavory pictures of yourself on Facebook. See? Everybody wins.
10/08/2009 10:11:58 ♥ kateg (
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