David Grubbs
The Spectrum Between
[Drag City]
Rating: 7.9
I've always been a firm believer in the value of early education. Not because it
teaches children state capitals or multiplication tables, but because of the one
truly invaluable piece of information you can attain from it: life is invariably
unfair. Adults can be completely indifferent or downright evil. Your worth as a
human being can be judged entirely on spelling bees and long division. And your
intelligence can be your own worst enemy.
Sure, one of the tenets of education is the encouragement of natural intelligence.
But being pegged a "brain" can be downright devastating, and not just because of
the impact it will have on your social life. No, when you're a "brain," a certain
level of work is expected of you. God help you if your first written assignment in
third grade sounds like a college dissertation-- everything you ever write after
that will be held to ridiculously high standards. While you're getting scorned for
an A-, the kid who sits in the back of class and flings boogers at the wall gets a
pat on the back and a candy bar for a C+.
Had The Spectrum Between been released by anybody other than David Grubbs, it
would garner instant critical acclaim for its impeccable songwriting and instant
accessibility. The artist would be declared the new John Denver, and whimsical yuppies
around the world would instantly make it a best-selling record. But this is David Grubbs.
This is the man responsible for Gastr del Sol and 1998's brilliant The Thicket.
As much as any other musician to come along in the past ten or so years, Grubbs has
pioneered new ground for pop music by combining inventive instrumentation and dynamics
with cryptic, staggeringly intelligent lyrics and always-impeccable songwriting. With
The Spectrum Between, Grubbs breaks away from any kind of avant-garde aesthetic,
leaving him with his voice, his acoustic guitar, and 36 minutes' worth of delightful pop
songs. And while the record is thoroughly enjoyable, one can't help but feel that Grubbs
is capable of something more.
But even if a bit flimsy in comparison to other Grubbs releases, The Spectrum Between
provides us with a liberal dose of amazing moments. "Gloriette," the record's undeniable
standout, begins innocently enough, with Grubbs strumming his acoustic guitar and singing
a pretty vocal melody at a relaxed pace. About half-way through the song, John McEntire
contributes his always-inventive drumming, increasing the song's tempo two-fold, and
completely shifting its groove. McEntire's welcome entrance is followed by a brief, squealing
saxophone solo from Swedish reed player Mats Gustafsson and some additional guitar
meanderings courtesy of jazz guitarist Noël Akchoté. Somehow, all these distinct elements
combine to create a blissful and compelling song. "Whirlweek" and "Show Me Who to Love"
follow a similar formula to a lesser extent, due mainly to McEntire's percussion.
The rest of The Spectrum Between consists largely of mellow acoustic numbers such as
"Seagull and Eagull" and "A Shiver in the Timber," and experimental, drone-laden instrumentals
like "Stanwell Perpetual" and "Preface." The acoustic tracks never fail to please, with
Grubbs' expressive guitar work and occasionally John Denver-esque vocals always remaining
agreeable. And the more streamlined nature of these songs make them instantly enjoyable.
The two instrumentals are quite good as well, but seem extraneous and out of place in
comparison to the rest of the record.
It's hard to find any outstanding flaws in The Spectrum Between. It's a lovely record,
and perhaps the first David Grubbs album that your parents will like as much as you do, if
not more. Still, rather than forging a new future for pop music, the record's roots are firmly
planted in the past, relying on more traditional arrangements and verse-chorus-verse structures.
Thus, this thoroughly enjoyable piece of work receives a 7.9, with a heartfelt "I know you can do
better" attached.
-Matt LeMay