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Filter-
Title of Record
Warner Bros.
Filter is becoming quite the project for ex-Nine Inch Nails member and
Filter founder Richard Patrick. The band somehow blended modern rock,
industrial, and psychedelia on their first album - Short Bus (1995) - and
they continue to employ that successful formula - even adding a few folk
sounds to the mix on their sophomore effort, Title of Record.
Featuring the band's expanded (and ever-changing) roster of musicians, the
disc was produced by Patrick and Ben Grosse over a recording process that
took place both in
Chicago and L.A. TitleS is an efficient roster of songs that wallows in
its own self-pity, dissecting what are presumably Patrick's failed
relationships and their many aftereffects on his psyche.
Opening with a short instrumental track, the under-a-minute "Sand," Title...
moves quickly to Track 2, "Welcome to the Fold," which launches right into
Filter's
crashing fury with the line "...you're celebrating nothing and you feel,
a-ok..." only to downshift again in the middle of the track and shift yet
again before the tune's aggression-filled end - at some 7-odd minutes long,
"Welcome to the Fold" is a mini-rock-opera all on its own.
Third on Title... is the frantic sounding "Captain Bligh," melding an
urgent melody and popping bass with Patrick's lyrics of deceit. Track 4,
"It's Gonna Kill Me," seems to refer more to a 'her' than an 'it,' as
Patrick sounds, both musically and lyrically, as if he's desperately
trapped in a relationship, but can't seem to see the way to the exit door.
Track 5, "The Best Things," may be one of the better tracks on Title...;
although most of the album is indeed quite solid, "The Best Things" is a
standout with its goth-influenced Seattle-rock sound, understated guitars,
and new 'take' on the theory of the best things in life being free
(according to Patrick, the best things in life aren't free) not to mention
that the "...gotta green light, gotta red light, yeah," refrain is darn
catchy.
Track 6, "Take a Picture," is, so far, the most widely-heard Filter track
yet, with the possible exception of their single hit from Short Bus, the
Gen X/Y anthem "Hey Man, Nice Shot." The song is a pop gem; with its
strummy guitar, soaring, almost phased vocal, and percolating percussion -
not to mention the stunning photography and originality of the song's
accompanying underwater video - "Take a Picture" is a bit of a departure
from Filter's usually more industrial-based sound, but is a raging success
nonetheless.
Track 7, "Skinny," is perhaps the only possible 'throwaway' track on the
album, but at least makes for a good lead-in to Track 8, "I Will Lead You,"
which is as close to a love song as Patrick gets on Title...- the highlight
being right-on-the-line-between-romantic-and-corny lyrics (such as "Take a
ride, cross the sky for an hour...").
The meandering "Cancer" is Track 9, a philosophical take on the frailty of
life and Earth itself... Track 10, "I'm Not the Only One" shows Patrick and
the band at their wounded best, infusing what could've been a typical pop
song with a good Filter twist... and Track 11, "Miss Blue," wraps up the
disc nicely, with Patrick again expounding on an uncertain relationship;
phrased as something of a sendoff to an ex-lover, the song mixes Filter
guitars into a brew both original-sounding and somewhat reminiscent of the
Smashing Pumpkins, with Revolver-era Beatles harmonies thrown in for good
measure.
You can definitely hear both of Patrick's self-proclaimed favorite influences
- U2 and The Cure - on this record, and these sorts of sounds translate
very well through Filter's songwriting - it's simply a good package of
songs.
They've already grown as a band since '95's Short Bus, and this album
builds well on Filter's many possibilities as a band, wonderfully fusing
their brand of technology/industrial rock with a little psychedelia, a
little folk, and a little pop to make an album that will make the title of
this
record pop out at you indeed.
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