…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead – So Divided Review
Posted by James Munson on 12.27.2006
Texas outfit returns after last year’s critically panned Worlds Apart with an even lesser rocking album than its predecessor. Consequently, the instrumental arrangements are more abundant and the production has improved dramatically.
Call me one of “those” fans, but when Trail of Dead first put out their third record Source Tags and Codes a few years back, I was amazed. Its sheer awesomeness didn’t leave my car stereo for weeks and it rarely came out of my portable Discman. Having only previously heard Madonna (which is now my second favorite album of theirs), Source Tags became an instant favorite of mine. Further cementing my belief that I should have discovered Trail of Dead a long time ago, I saw them open for Queens of the Stone Age (who were touring Songs for the Deaf at the time). Their charisma resembled a modern-day Who with two singers/guitarists switching off duties during songs and annihilating their instruments at the conclusion of their set.
When Worlds Apart eventually came out last winter, many cried fowl over the radio-friendly songs and ballads that personified their new sound. Sure, it was still Trail of Dead, but their music suggested a much safer route. I accept the fact that Worlds Apart is not the masterpiece the band might have wished for, but it’s not an awful record. It has its share of filler, but the tracks are classic Trail of Dead (epic opener “Will You Smile Again?” and the Oasis-like “Let It Dive”). Ultimately, does their new record, So Divided, another step backward from their last album or is it Source Tags part deux?
The answer is neither. For starters, their signature loudness is taken down several notches. Any older ToD fans might be scared that this evolution in sound might turn them into another generic indie-rock band. If anything, So Divided’s closest comparison is Worlds Apart, but quieter. The straight-forward rockers are still here (“Stand In Silence”), but other songs might astonish listeners. “Wasted State of Mind” (perhaps my favorite track) begins with a melee of tribal percussion while lead guitarist/vocalist Conrad Keeley later croons, “Caught in a stasis / feels like I’ve wasted all this time / With people and places who’ve never related or desired.” Much of this album is loaded with pessimism and I’m not sure whether it’s because their last album received little critical acclaim or because the band has yet to achieve anything above and beyond their current status. Even Keeley states in a recent interview with pitchforkmedia.com, “There's nothing glamorous anymore to what we do; there's barely any profit in it. I could probably make a better living doing graphic art.”
Other songs like “Eight Day Hell”, which sounds just like a Shins / New Pornographers b-side, continue this trend with lyrics like, “In London we played half an hour a day / for a house full of neds who are wanting us dead”. Even a lush, glossy rendition of Guided By Voices’ “Golden Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory” sounds awkward smack-dab in the middle of an album of originals that barely surpasses the 40-minute mark (two of which are introductory instrumentals).
To their credit, Trail of Dead made an album I’m sure they were completely satisfied with strictly for their fans that have been with them since day one. The Sonic Youth-like chord progressions and aggressiveness are mostly absent, but instead they keep the mainstream gloss while adding saxophone and more piano. Keeley’s artwork (which he’s always designed for the band as well as for other musicians) is still incredible, but one has to wonder if he’s more interested in this part of his craftiness than his songwriting. This album is far from bad, but it would possibly be the one I listen to the least.
The 411: Fans of the last Trail of Dead album and casual listeners might enjoy So Divided. A lot can be interpreted from their choice to only play a song or two from this new record on their most recent co-headlining tour with the Blood Brothers, even after the album was released. I’m pretty sure that Trail of Dead purists (those who swear by Source Tags) wish they would get back to rocking and smashing their instruments.
