We’re Telling, We’ll See, We’re Listening, I listened and I believe and now I’m telling.
The next thing you should do after reading this post is to somehow obtain (ITunes duhhhh) the Run Dan Run “Basic Mechanics” album and listen to it over and over. But just listening to the album doesn’t do it justice.
Please listen to it with headphones.
This is like an album of secrets to me and I feel like every time I hear something that I didn’t hear the first time through I discovered something that RDR hid for me. This really keeps an album fresh.
This album is so subtle that you have to pay close attention to really get your head around it. With my first listen I didn’t capture any of the lyrics. I was too busy trying to grasps the layers of music. Second listen was dedicated to vocals and I understood. The harmonies are beautiful and on point. As I was listening I had a slight flashback of when I would sit in front of my Grandparents record player as a boy and listen to Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits over and over with headphones on. Big headphones…with a quarter inch plug. My record was scratched and I can still hear Paul and Art skipping in perfect harmony. Oh youth…
And back to the topic at hand
You can go to Run Dan Run’s Myspace and they have all of the album reviews and press compiled. I read through some of these randomly to make sure I wouldn’t be mirroring someone else’s review. Honestly, I’m not even trying to review the album at all. I’m just letting you know all of these reasons I enjoy it. I’m a settler not a salesman anyway. Note to self (WWLBS)
Reading through others reviews and such I saw a lot of comparisons to The Postal Service and Death Cab and the such. Well let me tell you what I hear.
Track 6 Instrumental- This is straightforward and instantly reminded me of one of my favorite Instrumental songs from one of my favorite bands, REM. Too bad New Orlean’s Instrumental No. 1off of “Automatic for the People” is track five and not six. And too bad it is 2:16 and not 2:15. I see these songs as a beautiful reflection of each other. Each song will transport you to another place if you’ll let it.
I hear Death Cab, but I don’t hear Soul Meets Body or I Will Possess your Heart or The New Year. I do hear Coney Island and Sleep Spent and Your Bruise. It is in the recording, and it is at the heart of the music.
I hear OK Computer too, but maybe that is just me.
So when you listen to this album notice the talking in the backgrounds of songs, notice the snare in your left ear, notice the banjo that I really want to hear in my right ear, but I really can’t tell if it even exists. Appreciate all of these things because it is art and it is good and it will make you better and someone took care preparing it for your ears.
But you don’t have to take my word for it, find out for yourself!
