Elliott Childs reviews the latest release from stately indie rockers The National, Maggie Tweedie assesses future classics from Deva Mahal, and Liam Brown talks anti-pop star Ethel Cain.
First Two Pages of Frankenstein by The National
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One of the difficulties of being a long-running musical act is the challenge of covering new ground, keeping yourself and the audience interested in what you’re doing, but at the same time not going so far that you alienate your long-term fans.
Taylor Swift has seemingly mastered this art. Progressing from bubblegum country pop through to her latest incarnation as a stadium-filling pop act who can also put out a subtle, folk-influenced album produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner. And it's that collaboration which has led to her featuring on a track on First Two Pages of Frankenstein, The National's ninth studio album.
Swift, her current tour-mate and previous The National collaborator Phoebe Bridgers, and indie-folk musician Sufjan Stevens all make appearances on this album, but Swift is the only one named as a writer, specifically on the track 'The Alcott', and as a result, it’s her input that is the most audible.
A cynical view would be that The National are capitalising on Dessner’s association with Swift to lure in her audience. But that theory only really holds up if they had substantially changed their sound to keep the legions of "Swiftys" hanging around, which they haven't done. Despite the big-name cameos, First Two Pages of Frankenstein manages to sound very much like any other National album of the last few years.
That’s not to say that The National sounding like themselves is a bad thing. After all, what they do has lauded them a lot of well-deserved acclaim over their 24 years of existence. Singer Matt Berninger still softly intones his poetic lyrics in his unmistakable baritone whilst Bridgers and Stevens provide little more than backing vocals on their tracks. Bridgers’ voice in particular adds a pleasing tonal contrast to Berninger’s.
Whilst the production of the album is of as high a quality as fans have come to expect from this band, the sense of melody, as it often seems on records by The National, is somewhat vague, which is really part of the charm. The National always seem to focus on the feel of their songs, the tone that each one sets in the context of the album, rather than the impact of each individual composition.
Unlike Mary Shelley’s novel which was famously outlined in one hour in the middle of the night, the creation of First Two Pages of Frankenstein was somewhat of a struggle initially. A tour planned to promote their previous effort was scrapped due to the pandemic and the band members soon found themselves working on projects away from The National.
When it came time to regroup and start working on the album, Berninger found himself in the midst of a deep depression and unable to come up with any contributions. Eventually, he managed to overcome the situation and started to write, aided by his wife and writing partner Carin Besser. Evidently, the experience managed to inspire him somewhat as the first song they wrote was 'Tropic Morning News', a song about struggling to express yourself in the face of the overwhelming noise of the world.
'Tropic Morning News' is a good track to demonstrate the ideas behind this album. It’s quite clearly a National song, but there are embellishments, the electronic aspects for example, that are placed more to the fore than on previous records.
In the end, whilst the First Two Pages of Frankenstein doesn't break much new ground for the band the changes in pace and tone throughout keep you engaged as a listener. Altogether it is yet another solid offering from a band with a number of great records to their name. Elliott Childs
Future Classic: Vol 1 - Classic by Deva Mahal
Photo: COPYRIGHT RUSSELL KLEYN
Lauryn Hill once spoke to some high school students about why she never gave into the social pressure to release a second record. Her 1998 debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was the album it was, she says, because of the myriad experiences that took place before production.
It’s clear Hawaiian-born New Zealand musician Deva Mahal has taken note on her new record and in turn, she has plenty to write about with Future Classic: Vol 1 - Classic.
Her first song is a campaign against violence and systemic racism towards black people. Taking a microscope to American society and pleading, will anything change?
'Will Anything Change' pays heed to the civil rights movement with lyrics like "strange fruit hanging from the poplar tree" and "marching it like it’s 63". There’s an incredible depth to Deva’s voice, so soul-filled you can feel the weight she is battling against.
Deva has experienced much of the Black Lives Matter Movement first-hand as she moved between Aotearoa and the States for the better part of a decade.
'Run Me Through' is a raw power ballad full of brimming horn arrangements and driving rhythm, unstripping the reality of being disillusioned by love. Deva’s voice is cushioned beautifully by honeyed backing vocals sung by AJA, Kat Little and her sister and long-time collaborator Zoe Moon.
'I Want You (For All Time)' is a clear nod to her love of RnB. The crooner's clever use of twinkling piano and many harmonic layers makes you feel as though you are drifting through the cosmos, enveloped in its dreamlike path.
The title of the next song, ‘On Read’, might require a bit of explaining. The term 'on read' encapsulates the frustration one can encounter when a person doesn't respond to their text message and the sender can see they have in fact read it. It’s the modern-day equivalent of receiving a letter from a lover and never hearing back. The song to me, is the embodiment of a future classic.
And it’s right at this moment when you are rewarded with Deva Mahal’s pop leanings. 'Worthy' is brimming with the kind of hope and optimism that only a newly single person free of obligation can truly understand.
'Worthy' is a journey to self-empowerment with hand claps building to heights so glorious, it’s as if you are attending church on a Sunday morning.
And it’s Deva thoughtfully navigating her purpose as an artist that’s what sets Future Classic: Volume One apart.
Relentless tours, a pandemic, connecting with injustice and her own self-worth are all challenging themes this release explores, yet it's clear Deva's deep introspection has paid off in dividends. On this album, she and co-producer Chris Wethey have shaped some of her best music yet. Maggie Tweedie
The Preacher's Daughter by Ethel Cain
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You can take the girl out of Tallahassee, but you can’t take the Tallahassee out of the girl. Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain is an album hailed for its evocative, eclectic sound. It’s a genre-defying record whose sonic influences can be traced back to Cain’s upbringing in a small Baptist church, located in a small part of the state capital of Florida.
'Ethel Cain' is the moniker of the self-proclaimed anti-pop star Hayden Anhedönia. Born in Tallahassee, and raised in Perry, Florida, Anhedönia was the eldest child of four. Akin to the album title, she’s nothing short of a preacher’s daughter; her father was the deacon of their local church, and she was involved in said church's choir from a young age.
Ethel Cain, as an entity, exists separate from Hayden, in an attempt to separate the art from the artist. In an interview, Hayden described Ethel as both the person she can see herself becoming and the person she doesn’t want to be.
Ethel Cain is a poster child for what Hayden feels is the casualty of the All-American girl, summed up perfectly in the track 'American Teenager' - a cautionary tale detailing the dangers of the coveted “American dream”.
As a body of work, Preachers Daughter is the first of its kind to exist within the Ethel Cain Cinematic Universe, hailed online as its own cultural zeitgeist.
In an interview with Alternative Press, Hayden says that the story centres around three generations of women, and it starts with the youngest, the daughter.
Strung with acoustic guitars, harrowing synths and emotionally debilitating piano melodies, Preacher's Daughter is a concept album for the ages.
Originally written and imagined as a screenplay, Hayden adapted the idea into an extended musical project over the course of four years.
It’s a cautionary tale constructed solely on the basis of fiction, but stories from her real-life creep in, as on the track, 'Hard Times'.
Music is a powerful medium for storytelling, and the track 'Ptolemaea' exemplifies this notion with breathtaking precision. Placed at the climax of the album, the track unfolds like a chapter, revealing a narrative that transcends mere lyrics and melodies. Through haunting vocals, ethereal instrumentation, and captivating arrangements, Cain weaves together a tapestry of emotions and experiences, bringing the listener into what will soon become the demise of Ethel Cain.
Here lies the body of Ethel Cain – murdered and cannibalised by her boyfriend at the end of the album, she sings from heaven. She unties her life before the listener – coming to terms with death, the life she led, the boys she loved before, and the one she never stopped loving. The religious theme of the record ends here – with the lyric “God loves you, but not enough to save you” sticking out like a sore thumb.
Preachers Daughter is a critique of religion and identity from a perspective that is extremely underrepresented within the modern-day cultural zeitgeist – a trans woman who has lived the experiences she writes about (except the part when she dies). Liam Brown
