Album of the month : November 2001
THAU (DK) :
"All it takes is everything"
( Crunchy Frog)
Fact : bands lead by drummers have always been pretty rare. Just imagine if Ringo Starr had written most of the Beatles' material: " N°1" would be packed with songs like Don't pass me by or Octopus's garden... We'd really be in big trouble ...
Fortunately for us ( and for him) , THAU's drummer and main composer Jesper Reginal is a more gifted songwriter than his famous Liverpool colleague. Their previous album " Swish" dating back to 1996, it was ages since we last heard from the Copenhagen based quartet. During the gap, Jesper Reginal didn't stand idle though: He cut a great album with THAU's quirky offshoot TOTHE INTERNATIONAL, released two more CDs with Scandinavian surf kings THE TREMOLO BEER GUT, occasionally played with Danish all-stars instrumental combo 21st GUITAR, looked after the Crunchy Frog label, and went on tour numerous times, be it with the T.B.G. or other Crunchy home bands. Between these various activities, he even found some time to record THAU's long-awaited third output.!
Titled " All it takes is everything", it is a less focused, more patchy thing than its predecessor : five long years in the making certainly have something to do with it. Nevertheless, this new album finds the Danish foursome in a dazzling creative form. Remember when PERE UBU came back as a pop band in the mid-90's ? THAU definitely belongs to the same artistic family: their unmistakable noise-pop with slanted edges makes arty rhyme with catchy. It has never be so exciting and so inventive than on this eclectic collection.
Gently introduced by the short and subdued Favourite dream,the bittersweet psychedelia of Awestruck and its Tomorrow never knows' beat makes a very nice opening. But the album really takes off on the following track This is OK. The striking contrast between the strange elusive melody of the verse and the ultra-catchy cheeralong chorus is a perfect example of the band's singular approach and peculiar style. Labelmates Tanja Simonsen and Thomas Troelsen from SUPERHEROES bring great backing vocals on the chorus. They can be found again providing some kind of pidgin japanese lyrics on the even stranger Na Ni. Originally an instrumental, this song proves how infectious THAU can be at their most effective. Typically, they can't help but slipping an incredible guitar bridge backed with freakish death-metal growlings in the middle of the song. But that unpredictability is precisely the band's trademark, the reason why they are so interesting. The guitar-driven Heavy Weather, rightly one of producer Per Sunding ( EGGSTONE) favourites, closes the first half of the record and a small love songs cycle. With travel and identity as main topics, the second part opens with the irresistible rhythm and the melodic drive of The rock and the surf, another testimony of THAU's catchy side, thanks to a thrilling guitar theme and a great vocal part by the band's second Jesper, Jesper Sand. You hardly notice Square One at first hearing. It's the kind of song that slowly grows on you, listen after listen, actually one of the album's highlights. The chorus of Power Cables comes haunting you soon, backed with cellos, violins, and the creepy sound of a train bell. In a similar ghostly vein, Dusty Hum displays another characteristic loose melody and erupts in an uncanny moog-based chorus. Happy endings are not hip and Into the blazing sun are both guitar-oriented, noisy pop-songs. The latter brings to mind THE PIXIES at their best and ranks among the most immediate and memorable tracks of the album. Finally, " All it takes is everything" ends with the eponymous number, a soft campfire ditty which evolves into a wonderful pop gem, complete with neat vocal harmonies, subtle guitar licks, rumbling bass underlines ( thanks to the 3rd Jesper, Jesper Rofelt ) and some fine touches of glockenspiel.
Let's hope we won't wait another half-decade befoure a fourth THAU album. If it happens, this latest offer is rich enough to provide great listening pleasure for a long time. And in the waiting, you can check the various Jesper Reginal projects and Crunchy Frog releases: all are worth a listen .