Secret Machines – Ten Silver Drops
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Before I got this in the mail, my exposure to Secret Machines was pretty limited. I had their bizarre September 000 album (which is good, but not nearly as good as this), and I knew they were originally from Dallas. I realized a while ago that Texan indie bands are much better than anybody would expect them to be, so I told myself I should check them out. Unfortunately, there’s an impossibly large amount of music out there and I have a limited amount of America bucks and Internet. I’m glad the mail still works, because I probably never would have gotten around to listening to this if it didn’t. That would have been a crying shame, because it’s real good. |
Grade: A | Genre: Alternative Rock
Fans of Secret Machines tend to portray them as some sort of dusted-out astronauts send down to haul ass and hang out in the desert. This sounds right to me. This entire album feels like that scene at the beginning of the Doors movie shot from a helicopter flying through the California desert as “Riders On The Storm” plays. I don’t know about you, but to me that was one of the coolest parts of any movie…ever. So that puts Secret Machines in a special place in my heart right next to things that remind me of that scene in Layer Cake when the guy gets beaten up in the diner. This is high praise here.
Anyway, I don’t know if Secret Machines managed to find the perfect drug cocktail to precede writing music or if they’re clean and sober dudes who just happen to write perfect stoner music. I don’t care. Look to the guitars if you want to know why I don’t care. There’s nothing too fast, but all the songs seem to bloom into something huge as they progress. The guitars parts aren’t extravagant and the solos are perfectly placed. “Daddy’s In The Doldrums” has one of those solos that’s so slow and natural that you don’t even notice it if you aren’t looking for it. The only reason I did was that I was trying to think of solos and couldn’t come up with any so I looked. It takes up about two minutes of the song and doesn’t really go anywhere and it’s perfect. The guitars also have reverb at the perfect level and it adds so much to the already dusted desert feel of the album. Josh Garza’s percussion also does exactly what it needs to. Either there’s less emphasis on the bass drum this time around or they just mixed the album differently, but either way it adds quite a bit. Then there are the vocals. I couldn’t tell you a single lyric, but I have that problem with most music. It’s the feel of the vocals that’s important here. Brandon Curtis has a voice that was made for music like this. If you hear the guitar provided by his brother Benjamin and try to imagine what a corresponding human voice would sound like, you’ll find that voice here. I guess it’s kind of cute that they’re brothers and whatever.
No matter how you cut it, this music is awesome. It manages to somehow cheer you up, so it’s perfect for when you’re in a bad mood. It’s also perfect if you’re in a good mood. Ultimately I think this is what all great music has in common. If I can listen to something while I’m pissed off and it’s raining as well as when it’s a perfect day outside and I’m feeling good, it’s a keeper.
Release Date: April 25, 2006
