Track Listing
1. Ladies & Gentlemen
2. Another Morning
3. Patriot's Heart
4. Love Is
5. Job to Do
6. Only Love Can Set You Free
7. Mantovani the Mind Reader
8. Home
9. Myopic Books
10. Minstrel Show
11. Your Horseshoe Wreath Will Bloom
12. Song of the Rats Leaving the Sinking Ship
13. Devil Needs You, The
| Details | | Distributor: | Phantom Import Distributi | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
While San Francisco's American Music Club was one of the finest, most idiosyncratic alt-rock bands of the 1990s (not to mention '80s), their permanent cult status and interpersonal volatility brought about the group's end in the mid-'90s. Singer/songwriter Mark Eitzel and other members pursued various solo projects, but could never equal the tragic majesty of AMC's sad-and-beautiful oeuvre. The band's eventual reunion resulted in 2004's LOVE SONGS FOR PATRIOTS, a comeback album stronger than fans might have dared to hope.
Vudi's twisted, barbed-wire guitarscapes twirl with brutal elegance around Eitzel's tortured croon and sarcastic-but-poetic lyrics. While the former kings of misery (once termed the American Smiths) are still not exactly gleeful-sounding here, the self-loathing and romantic desolation of old has been partially supplanted by a new degree of sociopolitically motivated invective, presumably in reaction to post-9/11 life in the US. Former AMC keyboardist/pedal steel guitarist Bruce Kaphan's lush textures are missed, but new member Marc Capelle does an admirable job in his stead, and the rest of the band locks in together in the agreeably spiky, subtly disconsolate manner that was always a huge part of their appeal.
Editorial Reviews
American Music Club have rewritten the reunion record rule - this is the best work they've done yet.
CMJ
Ranked #9 in Uncut's Best New Albums of 2004 - [T]he reunion of the year was undoubtedly that of American Music Club.
Uncut
5 stars out of 5 - Anyone expecting a cosy echo of bygone woes may well be shocked at this brutal exercise in sonic violence....A brilliant record.
Uncut
3 stars out of 5 - Eitzel crafts his narratives using strident political language and imagery...
Mojo
[T]here are hints of redemption and humor even in Eitzel's most downbeat tunes... - Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly
[Eitzel] reunites with his old crew and delivers the best album of closing-time kvetch since 1993's MERCURY. - Grade: B+
Spin
| See an error? Submit a change request |
All rights reserved.
