Scott BresslerSomeone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Pershing
Rating: 1.5/5
For fans of: Elliott Smith, Jack Johnson, mediocrity
Tracks to download: “Glue Girls,” “Heers”
I have always been bemused by indie pop. It is perfect only for a summer drive in your Prius or a sing-along with your condescending friends (who admit afterward that they will always be too cutting-edge for a sing-along and they only did so for the sake of irony). Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin’s (SSLYBY) sophomore effort “Pershing” does not try for much, content to be pleasing in its poptastic simplicity.
SSLYBY’s debut LP “Broom” sold over 20,000 copies, which made the band the bees’ knees of the indie sphere. (To compare, Mariah Carey has released eight-tracks of bowel movements that almost quadrupled those sales figures.) “Broom” had edge and innovation, and also threw in some commercial pop. The idea that “Oregon Girl” still finds itself absent from some hip tech commercial flabbergasts me. (You’re going to run out of Shins songs soon, HP!) But save a few moments of pep, “Broom” stayed indie (read: whiny).
“Pershing” is certainly more accessible than their first album. The opener “Glue Girls” could be a bona fide mainstream hit, with its catchy, sanguine vocals and snappy bass line. And each song maintains this pattern of annoyingly breezy and carefreeness; they were probably all written on a beach somewhere with an acoustic guitar in front of a campfire. But that formula can only work if each song doesn’t essentially repeat the last. Track after track grow exponentially more uninspired. All somewhat bubbly, but so much so that the band comes off as smug.
For example, I was not impressed that on “Oceanographer” the band could rhyme six different terms with the title. “Schoolhouse Rock!” has more ingenious lyrics, and at least their songs do not disgrace the pop genre. “Boring Fountain” and “Think I Wanna Die” were not only cutesy, forgettable tracks but they could also double as sound bites from potential listeners. On “Pershing” the novelty of “Broom” has been swept away, and in its place is an unthreatening surplus of effervescence.
SSLYBY will alienate their indie following as these listeners become nauseated by the unadulterated, underwhelming sap. The mainstream may enjoy the album for a couple of tracks, but their ADD will kick in after it gets too repetitive. And if the band attempts to tour for a mainstream crowd, their name does not lend itself well for chanting or t-shirts. Muumuus and parachutes, maybe.
The entirety of “Pershing” seems effortless, but only in the sense that they probably exerted no effort in recording it. And only Jack Johnson can find success by writing in such a fashion. He’s crafted just such a carefree career. SSLYBY must have realized they recorded such a mindless release. They shipped pre-order copies out with cherry Airheads attached. A candy, like this album, that I would throw away if given to me free of charge. A poor way to honor a fine president of mother Russia.