Whatever fuels The Books’ universe should be made
available on the NHS. Their records are like hidden
treasures that only reveal their riches to those who
make the effort to look out for them.
Formed in New York five years ago by Nick Zammuto and
Paul De Jong, The Books released a first album, Thoughts
For Food in 2002 on German-based label Tomlab, and immediately
caused a stir amongst the most discerning of music lovers
with their off-beat mixture of acoustic instrumentation,
collages of chopped-up conversations and rudiments of
melodies and song. Difficult to pigeonhole, The Books
rapidly gained considerable recognition, yet remained
pretty unknown of most.
Just a year later, Zammuto and De Jong dropped another
slice of dense atmospheric mixed-up pop, refining the
scope of their music without reducing it, changing its
purpose or affecting its charm. Although not taking
their audience so much by surprise, this second album,
The Lemon Of Pink, reaffirmed the surrealist approach
of the band and nature of the music.
An acoustic guitar, an occasional banjo, a cello, a
violin are all elements found at the core of The Books’
music. On top are layered accidental vocals, lifted
from films, songs, conversations captured here and there,
and found sounds, with Nick contributing occasional
vocals. For this third effort, The Books have splashed
out on a few new toys. Joining the ranks of this weird
and wonderful chaos are a set of tuned plastic drain
pipes (of course!), a cheap metal filing cabinet complete
with subwoofer installed inside, and a vintage Hohner
clavinet. The rest of the sonic make-up of this album
comes from De Jong’s ever inflating sound library.
Entirely recorded in North Adams, MA, and New York,
Lost & Safe sees the band presenting slightly more
defined and structured songs, as illustrated on the
opening A Little Longing Goes Away, yet their compositions
remain as anarchic and colourful as ever. Often, as
the attention of the listener is drawn to a particular
point in a track, the pair is busy developing something
else on the opposite corner. This contributes to this
album feeling in some ways more intense and unsteady
than its predecessors, yet Lost & Safe appears ultimately
more focussed. This sometimes serves the songs in strange
ways, as on An Animated Description Of Mr. Maps, which
seems almost too straightforward and clean to properly
fit in. Yet, on closer inspection, what made Thoughts
For Food and The Lemon Of Pink so interesting is still
present here. From the constant sound collage of Vogt
Dig For Kloppervok to the delicate pop song such as
None But Shining Hours or If Not Now, Whenever, this
album remains truly magic and beautiful all the way
through.
If Thoughts For Food is still The Books’ most
surprising and fascinating record, Lost & Safe continues
to build on the band’s bizarre sonic world. Set
between electronic and acoustic, yet truly unique and
individual, Lost & Safe not only demonstrates that
Nick Zammuto and Paul De Jong can actually write proper
songs, but also that they can incorporate them in their
chaotic soundscapes without disturbing the fine balance
established on previous recordings.
4.7/5 |
