“New York City Hotel Blues”
from the album Buzzard
2010
iTunes
Indianapolis-based indie-rock collective Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s licked their wounds after a self-proclaimed “doomed” second album and recorded Buzzard, their third full album, released yesterday.
The loss of five band members (and the addition of three more), combined with getting over the drama between the band and their record label during the double release of Animal/Not Animal, make for a fresh, raw sound for their newest album.
Talented frontman Richard Edwards’ morose voice and bitter lyrics contrast the edgy but still pop-infused combination of acoustic and electronic instruments that would make for an energetic live show. The smooth and aggressive Buzzard is the kind of album you can blast after a break-up, but also has more gentle songs that could serve as soundtrack music for a TV series à la the trendy picks that “The O.C.” used to play.
The band had a number of outside contributors help with this album, including Tim Rutili, the guitarist and singer of experimental rock band Califone. If that’s not enough indie street cred, in many songs they also included Cameron McGill, frontman of Morris Minors and one of the openers for the So and So’s on their tour this fall.
Starting off the album with a single guitar on “Birds,” the song jumps from a simple pace to an exploding chorus that is a telltale sign of the band’s new lineup. On Buzzard, Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s have nixed the violins and horns featured on their previous albums and added more guitar, resulting in a bigger and bolder sound. “Birds” layers elegant, feminine vocals with Edwards’ haunting singing. It twists and turns until it concludes in a cacophony of sound and then cuts to a jolting finish.
Another standout on the record, “New York City Hotel Blues,” is a guitar-based song that sounds frantic at points, which make the quieter parts feel even more stripped. With lyrics like “I’m never gonna break your heart, not unless I have to,” Edwards is his usual honest and dark lyricist, but with Buzzard he bares more — and sharper — teeth.
The followers who find themselves rocking out to classic So and So’s should brace themselves when listening to this album — it’s definitely a big change from the previous ones. There are still some throwbacks such as the darkly humorous “Lunatic, Lunatic, Lunatic” and the quintessential chamber pop song “Claws Off,” but the band has matured and created a less melancholic and more pissed-off sound with its new band members.
Buzzard finishes up with a movingly simple song “I Do” that is solely Edwards’ voice accompanied by a guitar. The lengthiness of the song compared to the others on the album draws out that creepy, yet stirring feeling that brings to mind Thom Yorke’s (of Radiohead) solo project.
Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s newest album is a grittier, more rock-sounding spin on their old albums. While devoted fans may be a little let down with the new sound and lineup, those of you who haven’t heard of them before should definitely give Buzzard a chance. So, turn up your iPod and listen to the album from start to finish.