SHOTGUN & JAYBIRD
Trying To Get Somewhere
Sappy
· Malkmus-loving Maritimers’ new album is good, but not great.
Ever since its inception, this Sackville, New Brunswick four-piece has been pegged with comparisons to Pavement. Yet, while they do share similarities with the seminal indie-rock slackers – the odd, skronking guitars and Shotgun’s Jimmie’s closeness in voice to Stephen Malkmus – they also undoubtedly possess their own personality. Julie Doiron contributes warm, welcoming vocals (and wrote two out of the 11 songs here), Dick Morello’s Stratocaster distinctly twangs, and the whole project is glossed over with that unmistakable maritime sweetness.
After the mathematical guitar meanderings of "3 1 8 6 4 2 9 7 5" (a poorly-picked instrumental opener if I’ve ever heard one), the album launches into its first real song "Two and Two is Four." Here, Jimmie gets Meta describing the band’s sound while we hear it underneath: "out of tune guitars," "bouncing" drums and harmonized vocals. "Writing On Our Arms" continues down this same path with a slightly darker sound, an unrelenting rhythm and some killer alt-country riffage. We’re off and running.
Sadly, songs like "Come Back Slowly," "Cabin Fever" and "Lovers of the World Be On Time Tonight" provide far too few memorable moments, bogging down the album’s middle section. The Julie/Jimmie duet "Re: Tired" is pleasant, "Head Security Guard Surveys the Ground Around Him" sounds just as good here as it does live, but then closer "Pidgeon" struggles to get off the ground. While Trying To Get Somewhere, Shotgun & Jaybird go nowhere. Shame that, since their last EP is excellent.
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