Reviews
Oneida
Happy New Year
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Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2006-07-25
Repetition seems like an easy concept to understand, even in music, but it can used in so many different ways. Slight variations can be the difference between the relatively unambitious, catchy sound of bands like The Rapture, The Music and even to an extent Queens of the Stone Age, or the experimental, bold music of bands like Animal Collective or the Liars. A band like Oneida can be found somewhere in between these two extremes.
Oneida also thrives through repetition, but in a way that is far less obvious than a band like The Music yet much easier to embrace than the challenging sounds of a band like The Liars.
Happy New Year is Onedia's eighth full length album, described in their press release as simultaneously the most eclectic and most coherent album they have yet released. For the most part I would agree, although the coherency does take a few listens to pop through, when you really start to appreciate the layered chants, the rhythmic guitars and the spontaneous genre changes. Once that happens you can really sink your teeth into it, or perhaps let it sink its teeth into you. Don't worry, it only hurts a little.
Everything that's so excellent about Oneida comes together for one -- well actually, nearly eight pinnacle moments on "Up with People." It's the most intense song on the album by far, opening with pounding drums joined by feverish guitar that would do Buckethead proud. I'd suggest that this is pretty close to what The Liars sound like, especially the chanting vocals, but with much more tenacity than they bring to the table. And much like the James Brown, this song "Can't stop, won't stop" and you won't want it to either.
The same band who performs "Up with People" also has a gentler, melodic side that can equally nail a tune such as "Busy Little Bee." It's the perfect testament to why they have thrived in the game for a decade now. "Bee" is a tight, melodic track that was probably the only one that had a shot at being immediately gratifying enough to compete in Track-Fu; it is hard to even imagine it being the same band. The Eastern influence is obvious, but the indie-folk vocals aren't. Nothing's without a place; the intricacy displayed by Oneida on Happy New Year is almost without duplicate.
Before Oneida let you go they provide you with an almost incapacitating experience, a wonderful dark carnival ride called "Thank Your Parents." The piano blends with the percussion and coerces you to come along, where are you going? Well, that depends on you, doesn't it? Moving along at a pace reminiscent of a crawl, it is repetition at its absolute finest. In the second half of the song the background has repeated so many times you almost become oblivious to it, allowing you to bury yourself in the message and enjoy the ride these fine musicians have crafted.
Maybe the best thing you can say about any album is that is leaves you wanting more; Happy New Year does. And no, it's not wanting more because what they have provided you isn't satisfying, but because it is such an excellent record that you wish there was another disc, or another instalment.
Score: 8.8
- Dan