The Morning After: Skeletons' Money

Money, released November 4 on Tomlab

There is a really great album dying, just dying, to escape from this 53-minute minefield. Because, sure enough, excellent sounds abound here, and perhaps even enough for an LP, but, unfortunately, they are burdened by a slew of headache-inducing sonic experiments no less than difficult to tolerate, let alone enjoy. And while it’s not uncommon to find innovation a bit tough to palate, this band—a New York via Illinois, Colorado, and Hawaii quartet—sabotages their own manic effectiveness with what seems an irrepressible urge to mutilate the loveliness of their sound with all brand of aural offenses.

As an example of the neurotic nature of this album, leadoff “Fill My Pockets Full” is a frustrating assault of car horns and other exasperations, and it’s followed by “The Things,” a rollicking afro-doo-wop success, which is then followed by more noodling obnoxiousness. And so it goes, all the way through: for every instance of goodness, such as slow-burning “Stepper, a.k.a. Work” (which demonstrates the potential of the band to make great music when they so choose), there is a huge misstep, such as “Eleven (It’ll Rain),” the largely-creepy and unenjoyable nine minute finale. With contrasts like that, Money, through lack of discrimination, is mired in the dregs of hit-or-miss status.

In a sense, this album is one that would have benefited from a judicious sounding board—if a staff of post-postmodernists were standing by with discerning ears to tell the band when they were being derivative and unfortunately outdated in terms of innovation, the leftovers—also known as the parts of the endeavor that double as actual music rather than as a study of non-musical sounds—would have made for a pretty nice album. But, alas, it is what it is, and as that, you’ll have to hire on your own editing software to chew through this dissertation.

Report Card: C+