Well, I'm half asleep, exhausted and should be studying for so many different things so it's poor decisions time! Tonight's poor investment of a portion of my life, if you haven't already guessed is in the form of an album review, specifically of Something For Kate's 1997 debut release, Elsewhere for 8 Minutes.
As per usual, let me begin with my experience with the group. My exposure to Something For Kate comes mainly for my immense enjoyment of the lead vocalist, Paul Dempsey's, solo album, "Everything is True, " which I still love to this day. Beside the runaway hit "Monsters, " there are no songs from this group that I can think of. My opinion from listening to some of their stuff is that Dempsey's vocals are greatly mismatched to the style of music. Will that be my major gripe in listening to this album? Let's find out.
Track 1: Anarchitect
The sound of this song, right off the bat, is muffled and generic. Dempsey is not doing his voice any favours. Perhaps if my first exposure to Dempsey was through SfK I'd feel differently, but it just sounds like he's doing a (rather poor) impression of early Daniel Johns. The music at first also feels generic, but loosens up at points during the song, which may be even more frustrating as it shows that the group know what they're doing.
The word that best describes this song is "immature." I honestly don't mean this in a very negative way, it's what I think. Dempsey, a name synonymous with calm, relaxing and thoughtful music in the late 2000's is obviously going to sound quite different in a rock outfit in '97, and I'll try my best to keep this in mind. All the same, the difference is clear.
Lyrically, this song seems to be a rather typical, albeit interpretive, rehash of the usual "I'm trapped in modern society" angle. Think...the music video to "Spaceship" by Phrase or "Clockwork" by...Phrase. What does Phrase have against society.
Track 2: Pinstripe
Initially, this song gave me Powderfinger vibes, but soon returned to feeling like a companion to "Frogstomp." The music is a little less generic and more toned down. Less is certainly more with a front man like Dempsey. It is very clear that this is an early part of Dempsey's career, as he is less cool and much more... whiny. I love the voice of modern Paul Dempsey, but my God does he sound like the typical 20-something whining at the state of his life.
The lyrical content is not helping. This song is a definite thematical continuation of the first track, being about either a person or a couple going out of their way to escape the bondage of modern life and enjoy elicit thrills in simple joys. This, I think, is going to be a recurring theme in this album, possibly to the point of "concept album" designation. I think I'll adapt to Dempsey's voice, as you can hear hints of a better voice than average sneaking through at points.
Track 3: Captain (Million Miles an Hour)
The major success of the album, being the first single and placing on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1997 at 39th. What's it about? Escape. That's a new one.
I'd be lying if I claimed to completely understand the central metaphor of the song, with the protagonist of the song attempting to build an aeroplane with which to leave at, as the title suggests, unreasonable speed. The reveal at the end of the song, that the plane is a model, is somewhat confusing. Dempsey claims this song was about his habit of distracting himself from his somewhat troubled home life as a child by building model planes, which does shed a lot of light, and makes some of the lyrics easier to understand, as they can be taken more literally and as they pertain to a real person, require less vagaries to relate it to human nature.
Track 4: Paintbrushes
I admit to always reading the lyrics of a song before listening to it (if I'm reviewing it) so I can kind of understand the spirit it is intended in. There are many songs which will try to throw you off from the central message by having a completely different tempo. This song, judging just by the lyrics, is a missing track from The Thermals "The Body, The Blood, The Machine" about, surprise, surprise, escaping a "Christofascist" USA. OK, the "escape" part is the unsurprising part. I don't mean to imply SfK are in any way discussing Christofascism (That's right Blogger, keep pretending that's not a real word). The lyrics are, as all four songs have been, very open to interpretation, with no strict narrative to be found. Imagery is much more what the group seems to be going for. As such, the song seems to be about escaping from everyday life to live a less comfortable but more fulfilling life with nature. Yeah, I see a theme emerging.
The emphasis of this song is on the music, and I actually really like that. More recent SfK releases have fantastic vocals and more generic music that I feel isn't doing Dempsey any favours, but considering that Dempsey was still developing his voice here, I think the music actually is really impressive, being very versatile. I will have to listen carefully when calling them poor quality in the future. The can keep up to Dempsey's style but don't/ Maybe my assumptions on mismatched styles are wrong, and the entire sound of the group is more deliberate than I give it credit for.
This song is by far my favourite, especially for the complete change of tone in the last third, which demonstrated much more of Dempsey's modern style. I may seem to be incredibly biased with my constant discussions of Dempsey and SfK as completely different entities. This is because I am extremely biased. I can't deny that. I still feel my opinion is valid, but please don't expect me (or any reviewer, in fact) to be unbiased. Nobody is unbiased.
Track 5: Prick
Well, this is a nice change of pace. A character analysis! Yes, it does have a throwaway line about escaping to open air, but that isn't the crux of the track.
The song, from my perception alone, is about a social butterfly who uses their friends and partners almost as some kind of identity... sort of a Blanche DuBois type. The perspective, however, is of someone who is realising how unreliable and selfish this character is, and despite attempting to please them, is beginning to wonder why, what they offer in return.
The lyrics are much more interesting than the musical aspects of the song. I've said several times that parts of this album sound generic, and I might be being a little two harsh with such throwaway statements, but this song is so far the best demonstration of the more unlikeable parts of SfK's musical lineup. The song is short, forgettable, and just really doesn't have any standout features. This would have been particularly notable in the '90's, when music of this genre were much more common.
Despite this, this song was the second single off the album. I've got nothing. Also, the title is kind of a tease. I was expecting a more aggressive song lyrically about an unlikeable individual (who is admittedly present), but the title seems more to refer to the motif of "hooks", with the second line being "got hooks in my side." Prick = cut or small injury, not dickhead.
Track 6: Glass Timing
I've got to admit that this title greatly intrigued me. As a fan of naming things after two random words shoved together (such as "Red" and "Television") I was expecting to find the song completely unrelated. Sadly, it was to a degree, and I can't really call it completely random. Shame.
Lyrically, this is possibly the most vague, and I can only sum it up with the word "inaction." Look up the lyrics yourself, and tell me if there is more to read into it.
The music is pretty good, and not just generic 90's rock, although Dempsey is getting whinier, which is getting more and more aggravating. I really want to like all of this bloke's work, but I just can't. Not bad, by any means, especially considering the era, but still too much and too little in the wrong areas.
Track 7: Soundczech
I think the standout aspect of this album is in naming songs. Short of Sufjan Steven's "Illinois", I can't think of an album with such odd names. That being said... what is it with artists slightly changing the spelling (but not the pronunciation) of regular words to include a completely inexplicable reference to Eastern Europe? Admittedly, the only other song in this category is "Brainwascht" by Ben Folds, so not exactly a trend, but still odd.
I can't really make that much of the lyrics, despite them being plentiful, but the definite ideas of entrapment and a need for movement emerge. Considering the otherwise completely pointless inclusion of a reference to the Czech republic in the title, I'm going to run on the theory this is about a gap year in Europe. Prove me wrong.
I don't have any massive problem with the music of this song. It has a definite sense of being somewhere else. It sounds cold and hollow and generally hostile, which works well with the entrapment idea. On the other hand, the chorus seems much more pop-compliant, which I do pick up on like a lifeline to a world I recognize. Considering 4 singles were released from this album, the first two of which I wasn't a massive fan of, at least musically, I'm surprised there wasn't any movement to release this one. The name alone would have made it stand out, although "Prick" and "Captain" aren't exactly common song titles.
Track 8: Working Against Me
I swear to God each song is more obtuse than next. I, again, can't tell you much more than buzzwords that seem to arise from the lyrics, in this case betrayal and planning. Is there a story? Maybe. Does it sound fascinating? Hell yeah. Will I ever find out? Almost certainly not. Sure, It's nice to have some depth in your song lyrics, and making them more about imagery helps that idea. The problem is, it only really works for groups who have proven they are doing it out of choice. If you don't write more comprehendable songs, it just makes it look like you can't/ Again, I must remember this is a debut. Everything might change.
Musically, pretty decent. There was an annoying beeping in the opening few bars but it either stopped or I stopped noticing. This was the third single of the album, and I'm still not overly impressed.
Track 9 : Strategy
Let's start with the lyrics. SfK proved me absolutely wrong in a way. They proved they could write a decently decipherable track, about something other than escaping. Bravo. What is it about? As far as I can tell, it's about a couple who are going through the motions, just trying to keep things civil while they get up the courage to end it or... well, die of old age. It seems the reverse of "You Don't Know Me" by Ben Folds and Regina Spektor. The problem here is that there is not real connection, but they know each other too well. They both seem to know the other wants to end the relationship, but because of this thinks they can just wait the other out. It's a fascinating, vicious cycle. I'm definitely reading too much into it, but I think the psychology of it is intriguing.
Wait, there is music with these words? Huh. The music is kept to a minimum, with a focus on Dempsey's voice. While he isn't at his solo album quality, he is doing pretty well from this album, and the entire song seems to be aware that the words and emotion behind them are what the song is about and what powers it forward. It's good and plays to the groups strengths. I can't really ask for more than that, can I? It's just silly to ask for the group to "be better" or "know what you're doing" on a debut album. I respect what these people were doing, and they worked out what to do. Your front man is the most recognisable part of your ensemble, your music improves the less of it there is, and the quieter what little there is is played and good songwriting is always an option, will always improve a song in someones eyes and can bring you nothing but respect.
No, of course it wasn't released as a single.
Track 10: Roll Credit
I may be mistaken, but I think I need to pull out my third Ben Folds comparison for the review, with that of "House". Simply put, I'm pretty sure this song is about a house. The thing about songs about locations is that unless you have a very clear narrative in mind, you end up offering a series of short pieces which end up confusing the listener. It makes sense: there are very few places you can reside where you don't have a multitude of feelings, both good and bad, and even if the feelings are unanimous, these are hard to express with sounding like your changing topics constantly.
Music is OK. It's not particularly memorable, but I had no real negative feelings for it.
This, of course, is single number four.
Track 11: Like Bankrobbers
This song has some good qualities, both lyrically and in the music.
Musically, Dempsey is decent, but the inclusion of what I swear is a violin really adds to the poetry of the song, and breaks up a little of the mounting monotony of the album.
Lyrically, the song is about two people linked only through their desperation. They are in a bad situation, don't necessarily like each other, but are forced to be together as they hit rock bottom. The analogy of "bankrobbers" makes sense, overall, but the other, or both being "terrorists" is somewhat more intriguing. As this album is from 1997, modern ideas of "terrorists" weren't quite the same. The 2001 attacks on America hadn't yet occurred, and the 2002 attacks on Australians in Bali hadn't occurred either. I'd be interested to know what a "terrorist" was in 1997 to a group of young Australians.
Once again, I like the psychology and my only real gripe is that the song is almost completely metaphor. Sure, they're "like" bankrobbers and terrorists, but what the fuck are they actually? I suppose it doesn't really matter, but it does leave a bit of a gap.
Track 12: The Last Minute
Full credit to this title. This acknowledges that the song is last and is also a reference to the title of the album. Classy, neat and not too hard. Appreciated, SfK, appreciated.
Musically and lyrically, this song is just so very clearly connected to "Tomorrow" by Silverchair. Greed, loss, inevitable destruction... the usual in here. Again, no clear story, but I suppose the last track is a fair enough location to be vague and emotional. As I always say, it's only really fair to leave the listener with an accurate depiction of the album as a whole in the last track, or at least not to shove a crap song in this slot.
Dempsey pushes the whiny factor to 11, and it gets really irritating, but I suppose for the last song, you may as well over hype it a little bit. Whatever.
Final Thoughts:
This album was more good than bad. My point of reference is that even after a review of a decent album, I'm looking forward to the end of the album so I can end my review. That didn't happen here. I kept listening excitedly. I wanted SfK to do new things, so I could interpret. Sure, the songs were very similar and at some points indistinct, but I wasn't bored, and I think that's pretty damn important.
Something for Kate is a good group, one I want to like more than I do, and I would like anyone to give them a chance so that there can be more people out there genuinely liking them, not trying to make themselves.
