knowncutter's Full Review: Ten Silver Drops by Secret Machines
This is very hard for me to admit to myself. I’ve been hyping up the Secret Machines in my mind for quite some time now. After their debut, Now Here is Nowhere, I fully expected unequivocally great things from them. After all Now Here is Nowhere or NHIN as those of us in the know like to call it (actually I’m the only one who calls it that), foreshadowed a band with enormous potential for the spaced out, yet surprisingly forceful rock and roll that few bands have ever mastered. The closest comparison I can draw is the Flaming Lips on Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, except without quite the hook-laden pop effect or the Wayne Coyne vocals that sound like he’s perpetually inhaling helium.
Anyways, I’ve been anticipating the Machines new effort, Ten Silver Drops, more so than any album this year. That’s saying quite a lot for me considering the Chili Pepper have a new double album coming out, not to mention new releases from the likes of the Shins and Wolf Parade. As you can see I couldn’t even wait for the official release date of this album, downloading it digitally (as opposed to manually I suppose?) months in advance.
That’s right I’ve had this thing for over a month. I’ve had plenty of time to get over my initial expected stage of over-hyping it and now can make an accurate assessment as to how this album makes me feel. And would you like to know exactly how this album makes me feel? I don’t even care if you answered no, I’ll tell you anyways (unless of course you’ve stopped reading now that I’ve made it clear I’m not listening to your answers).
Ten Silver Drops makes me feel empty. Devoid of almost all excitement and euphoria I feel when listening to NHIN. Most of all it makes me feel swindled.
I was duped, and that’s what I have a hard time admitting to myself. I fell straight into the best band of the new millennium trap I created for myself and am now having a hard time getting out.
To be fair Ten Silver Drops isn’t quite as bad as I’m going to make it sound. Actually without the expectations I’m probably unjustly formulating it might be considered good as opposed to an average album. Just good though, and that’s my problem. I expected great.
Enough about me though. The music on Ten Silver Drops is surprisingly clichéd and dull. The spacey, cosmic, stoner-music is still clearly attempted but gone are the John Bonham drums and searing guitars. I consider the latter half of those aforementioned attributes to be more influential on the actual quality of the music so you can see the problem I might have with this album.
Most of the songs attempt a fuller sound than that of what was found on NHIN often times adding piano and harmonizing vocals to fill space in the background. I have no problem with this and actually prefer the obvious attempt from the band to improve their sound. What ends up happening though is the Secret Machines spend too much time conjuring up new ways to add effects in addition to songs that never have a steady backbone to begin with.
What this leads to is an album that sounds very much the same throughout its entirety and easily blends into one stream of consciousness. Perhaps this is the effect the band was going for, a mind-blowing, complete album that will be considered one of the best albums of all time in thirty years or so. Maybe, but right now it just sounds to me like the band ran out of creative ideas and put out eight songs I can hardly distinguish.
The album does start out promisingly enough with Alone, Jealous, and Stoned. It manages to sound concise and manageable despite its six minute length although it never really explodes into the crescendo it seems to inevitably build towards.
The best two tracks on the album are probably the second and third tracks, All At Once It’s Not Important and Lightning Blue Eyes. The former has easily the most memorable chorus on the album, which isn’t saying much considering this album seems to have done away with the traditional concept of a chorus. As odd as that sounds after listening to most of these songs I have a hard time deciphering what I would consider the chorus. None the less song two is the Secret Machines as one would expect them to sound. There is a clear evolution of sonic development from their debut, but the mainframe, crafting of music remains intact. The same could be said for Lightning Blue Eyes.
Unfortunately from there on out there is nary a respectable song to speak of. The eight minute Daddy’s in the Doldrums strives for magnitude of epic proportions, but it falls hard, I mean brutally hard, on its own pretensions. The final four songs are completely absent of any real passion or effort, save possibly 1,000 Seconds which at least tries to emote some sincere emotion.
I’d like to give this album a negative rating out of the sheer spite I feel for having had such high anticipations squashed so severely. I’ll remain reasonable though and label it as the mediocre, monochromatic let down it truly is. Fans of the first album will find a certain amount of music to like here, but for the most part they’ll be disappointed. Welcome to the club.
Song Rankings
$= Great song worth your money
Download (essentially steal) = Good song
Skip= Average filler
Garbage= Terrible track
1. Alone, Jealous, and Stoned- Download
2. All at Once (It’s Not Important)- $
3. Lightning Blue Eyes- Download
4. Daddy’s in the Doldrums- Skip
5. I Hate Pretending- Skip
6. Faded Lines- Skip
7. I Want to Know- Skip
8. 1,000 Seconds- Download
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