pixelbaby's Full Review: Split Personalities by 12 Rods
Last fall, a friend made a mixtape for me by way of getting to know me better. The final song on Side B of this tape was "Girl Sun", by a semi-local (Minneapolis) band called 12Rods. That song was dreampop at its *finest* -- gooey sentiments with an edge -- and I found myself hooked on their catchy melody and charming lyrics.
Last month, this same band played a show at a local alternavenue, and I felt obligated to check them out. They ended up with no opening act, and not very many attendees. But the dozen or so people that comprised the audience for the evening shared something very special. Ryan and Ev Olcott, along with their drummer and bassplayer (two members of the lineup that didn't appear on this album) ignited the place with their trademark wit and kitschiness.
Split Personalities is the second offering from this group, having been released in 1998 on the V2 label. And it is one addictive little album. From the moment the album opens with the bluesy track "Split Personalities", you find yourself clued in straight off that, like it or not, you're going to be hearing this album for days on end. A fuzzy, sonic wall of guitars and deft synth manipulations background Ryan Olcott's quirky lyrics. It's energetic, awe-inspiring, and foot-tapping all at once.
"Red", the next song, came off the band's first EP, Gay?. It begins quiet and slow, then segues into a chunky guitar & drum arsenal, then fades back to a gentle rhythm. The lyrics are not mimetic of the gentleness of the music, but it forms cohesively enough. This one is followed by "I Am Faster", which, again, starts out fuzzy & distorted, but fades later to a gentle, almost-jazzy melody (which inevitably transforms itself back to an almost abrasive combination of the two styles). Although predictable, it's not forgettable. Things then pick up again with "Chromatically Declining Me", a slightly frantic, disjointed song that is strangely soothing. The lyrics are almost brilliant here though, and really carry on the album's theme of fractured senses of self.
"Part of 2" glides on the gentle keyboard rhythms and distorted guitar that define this album. A decent song, but not as outstanding as some of the others. "The Stupidest Boy" is perfect example of the awkwardness and apparent self-loathing that seem to define Olcott's lyricism, all the with the familiar fuzzed-out backgrounding. Again, this song fully captures the album's theme of mental confusion.
One of the more notable tracks on the album is the next one, "I Wish You Were A Girl". The lyrics are pure genius, and well worth concentrating on. It has more of the dreampop feel that "Girl Sun" held, and if I liked the album up to this point, I really loved it after track 7. These last songs on the album all flow together terrifically. "Lovewaves" is all gooey sonics and wavy, poetic lyrics. "Make-out Music" is similar to "Lovewaves", but a little more rocking than its precursor. It's still quite flow-y, though, and the lyrics are adorable.
"Girl Sun" is the last track on the album, and it's also the first 12Rods song that I experienced. It has a gentle, laidback beat to it, and it immerses the listener in a perfect blend of dreampop and bubblegum. It wraps up the entire Split Personalities experience appropriately enough with it's subtle quirkiness and obvious sincerity.
All in all, this album is worth picking up. I would suggest, however, that if you live in the Midwest, you check out one of their shows and buy the album right from them at the show. I had the opportunity to meet both Ev and Ryan, and both were very real people, if not a bit breathless from their set. I suggest seeing them live first simply so you can marvel at how tight they are live before experiencing the group on CD.
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