I think now is as good a time as ever to actually upload weekly reviews. I just finished one school year, so over the course of the summer (until about September) I’ll aim to upload weekly unless something comes up.
Let’s start things off with a rather deep cut that I’ll credit Fantano with bringing it up. American Water by Silver Jews (yes, that’s their name) has been one of my most-played albums since I started listening to it approximately 1 month ago. American Water is a mighty fine album, but I am not ready to subject myself to that much typing that soon. Let it be known that the rest of American Water is just as worth a listen as its opener…
The Actual Review
…and that opener is simply titled Random Rules, which is a prime example of how to use literary devices and sentence structure to your advantage. I may or may not be unqualified to go into depth with this analysis, but I’m gonna do my darndest to identify what our lead singer is talking about without clicking the Genius interpretations. I will preface this with a note on how Silver Jews have done their mixing. It may seem a bit rustic or even low-budget, but there’s just something charming about some guitar chords played in one ear, while the guitar in the other ear carries the beat. It’s a bit hard to describe through text, but you’ll understand upon listening. Now onto the show proper!
Upon pressing play, we are greeted by David Berman on vocals and guitar, mulling softly of past experiences while travelling abroad…
In 1984, I was hospitalized for approaching perfection Slowly screwing my way across Europe, they had to make a correction
This sets our premise upon which we discover why he ended up in the circumstances outlined later but also addresses the origin of his outlook on life. The phrasing of the first line really gives us a taste of David’s songwriting style, taking what may be a taboo topic to some and making it into a euphemism, albeit a rather unique spin on it. “Approaching perfection” as an alternative to “doing drugs to any capacity” reminds me of how some people state that they see higher beings while tripping out. Could be through ritualistic means, or could be by downing the cheapest stuff you can find in some back alley somewhere in Stockholm (also a good song), but the ends are what matters here. In the end, the assumed doctors who saved him corrected his path, which is why he ends up under our present circumstances. His life changed, and now he’s talking to a previous lover in some diner (or club, I don’t picture them dancing in a diner all that much).
To save some time, I won’t go over Random Rules line-by-line, because we would be here for much longer than I’m willing to spend. The point that I want to get across is the vast amount of backstory communicated by these carefully chosen words and phrases. Every single line communicates some crucial information to our context which culminates in the 3rd verse…
So if you don't want me, I promise not to linger But before I go, I've gotta ask you, dear, about that tan line on your ring finger
In an attempt to seek some form of closure, he addresses the elephant in the room. Maybe he and his previous lover won’t truly make amends with each other, but we can safely say that they most likely laid all their truths out to dry so the healing between them can start in some form. Most likely they’ll drift apart after the song ends, but at least for tonight, they can pretend it is all alright.
Alright, enough of that sap. Sap isn’t tasty unless you process it properly, so how do Silver Jews manufacture this into maple syrup? In all honesty, the instrumental sounds kind of… simple? That may just be the overall feel that Random Rules gives off, as it feels like a song being performed in some random bar in some backwater town somewhere either in Texas or Wisconsin (feel free to add to that list of prospects). However, that simplicity really sells the authenticity of it, as it sounds like some dude just got up on stage and sang about his previous lover. Sometimes simpler mixing is just better than complex sound design.
In Conclusion
Random Rules (and American Water entirely) paints a life full of past physical and emotional scars from a life lived to its fullest. As a deeper cut, I cannot stress how much I recommend a listen, despite how rustic the song/album feels.
9/10:
Some other tracks to check out; People, Like Like The The The Death, and especially Honk If You’re Lonely. A lovely little slice of 90s indie-alternative-folk-country-etc-etc-…
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