Joan of Arc “So Much Staying Alive and
Lovelessness” Jade Tree
A name connotes. A name signifies something. Your name is tied
to who you are. The members of the Beatles were great because the
pun those geniuses based their name on was so strong, or at least
it was referencing Buddy Holly’s band, and that’s a
pretty fine place to start. Joan of Arc, for better or worse, is
named, not for one of the inventors of rock ‘n’ roll,
but, some would argue, a historical figure whose ethic presaged
rock’s passionate vitality. Unfortunately, the band and their
newest record “So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness,”
have more to do with Arc’s overblown madness of vision than
her inspired passion of leadership. There are at least a few really
good ideas for songs here, but the band is hellbent on sabotaging
them. The album opens with the six-minute-plus “On a Bedsheet
in the Breeze On the Roof,” which kicks off with what seems
like an interesting guitar part until it meanders into musical
monotony. The meandering theme is solid throughout. The lyrics move
from almost-touching teenage nostalgia scenes like “On a
Bedsheet” to the downright absurd line “Camus
isn’t your boyfriend,” from “Hello Goodnight Good
Morning Goodbye.” Who are they to question their
listener’s immature existentialism? Outrageous. Even the most
promising of songs like “Olivia Lost,” which opens with
a simple piano line, ends up clocking in at over five minutes and
letting strange background noise mar the originally pleasant
melody. The kids in Joan of Arc are striving to conjure up some
seriously interesting and different music but fail to turn their
experimentation into something cohesive and interesting. If
you’re willing to take them on their own terms as compelling
musicians, this might be a repeatedly listenable album. If not,
then you’d probably agree that if this were 15th century
France, this Joan of Arc would more likely be burned at the stake
for producing doleful monotony and not tapping into otherworldly
magic. Oh, witchy woman.
-Anthony Bromberg
Birdman “Baby AKA The #1 Stunna” Cash
Money
The newest release from Cash Money records, Baby AKA The #1
Stunna, finds Birdman (because he’s fly in any weather)
leaving the safety of his Big Tymers nest to venture into the world
solo. Unfortunately, it seems he could still use the other half of
the duo, Manny Fresh, to regurgitate him some worms. Like on
earlier Big Tymers records, Fresh handles most of the production
but has apparently run out of ideas. Every beat here sounds like a
tired retread of older Cash Money songs. Still worse for the record
is the fact that Fresh, by far the better rapper of the duo, rarely
contributes his lyrical skills. Not surprisingly, the best songs on
the album are those produced by people outside the Cash Money
family and featuring many guest appearances. The highlight of the
record and its first single, “Do That…,” is a
collaboration with Bad Boy records; it was produced by Jazze Pha
and features P. Diddy. We all need some bling bling up in our
grilles once in awhile, but if it’s Escalades on dubs that
you’re looking for, stick to Big Tymers or the Hot Boyz, and
let this bird fly free. -Dan Crossen