what'd you have to do that for?

(Today's entry comes from my friend Randall)

I'll admit it. When I first heard this song, off the Shudder to Think's major label debut Pony Express Record, I was unimpressed. Long being a fan of the "Dischord" sound and math-rock in general, I had heard about the band and their influence on the DC underground for years. But despite feeling almost obligated to like the guys for all these reasons, my first experience with them grated on me. The lyrics are completely non-sensical and the song's structure is barely there. Even the title of the song screams "pretentious art-rock," and vocalist Craig Wedren's gloating trill dares you to take him half as seriously as he takes himself. No thanks, I thought.

A few days later, half-asleep on a bus, the song shuffled up again on my brother's iPod and I let it run. For some reason, it made perfect sense. Not the lyrics - they are still beyond me - but the shaky structure and irregular melody seemed somehow stronger for their lack of cohesion. After the erratic, mathy pop of the intro, the song suddenly shifts into an impressive vocal refrain at the 1:20 mark that carries it through to the end. Wedren's naked warble evolves into a defiant, operatic proclamation complete with some really cool, almost unsettling backing harmonies, while basic power chords are overtaken by intertwining guitar lines. The song's climax fits (stylistically and chronologically) somewhere between Rush and the Dismemberment Plan, and I mean that as a good thing. Pretty innovative stuff for 1994.

Special thanks to Peter for sharing the Pigblog space with me this week.

Shudder To Think - X-French T-Shirt