The Static Age - Neon Nights Electric Lives

[illusionofjoy]

When I was a student at SUNY Potsdam, there was an on-campus club which was the prime venue in the area for underground music. In general, the venue focused on hardcore, metal and punk bands (not to mention a plethora of local bands, some better than others) when it came to live bands. This club, known as Hurley's, pretty much had a monopoly on the music scene in Northern New York. The only other venues in the area were either bars of the stray coffeehouse. While the college campuses would sponsor a "Springfest" each year, culminating in a concert, these tended to be little more than a college union board's way of saying, "look at the big mainstream act we brought in for the student body - love us!"

So, for the four and a half years I was a student, I was also a regular at Hurley's. Granted, I didn't like half of the groups that breezed through there, but it was something to do on a Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon that didn't involve internet porn. It was at Hurley's that I saw The Static Age for the first time. Their lead vocalist/guitarist had just broken ranks with the River City Rebels and the only thing they had at their merch table was a rough burned demo of four songs (which I still possess, incidentally). By the time they came around to playing in Potsdam again several months later, the band had released their debut album, The Cost of Living and had T-shirts and stickers for sale.

Upon their debut at Hurley's and only eight bars into "The Blackout," I immediately loved this group. Being 20-something and post-punk in a world that was either quickly sliding into emo or jailbait kids wishing they were hardcore punkers, I found The Static Age to be a breath of fresh air. They fit right into my world of The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen and New Order. Their sophomore album continues in this vein.

Neon Nights Electric Lives brings with it a label change from Primary to Tarantulas and a line-up change for the group. Although former keyboardist Marie Whiteford's performance is the one recorded on this set, she was replaced soon after completion of the album by the classically trained Sarah-Rose Cameron. The rest of the line-up - Bobby Hackney (percussion), Adam Meilleur (bass) and Andrew Paley (vocals/guitar) remains unaltered.

From the onset, it is obvious that this group is still wearing their post-punk influences on their sleeve. "Vertigo" opens the disc with a 6/8 shuffle, a rubberband bassline and sparse guitarwork which sounds gloriously expansive, despite its inherit minimalism. With a similar effect as "Any Day Now" by Elbow (from the album Asleep In The Back), this opener hypnotically draws the listener in throughout it's six minutes, begging for the rest of the album to be heard. The double-layering of lyrics during the bridge add a nice touch.

"Vertigo" is followed by the single, "Amphibian." This track, long available for download on The Static Age website, is an upbeat nod to The Psychedelic Furs, with the trademark keyboard flourishes which made The Cost of Living so memorable. Throughout the album, Paley's vocals sound like a haggard Richard Butler, however, this track demonstrates how smooth his voice can be, given the right musical backdrop.

The next two tracks take a lesson plan from the New Order teacher's guide. While "Armory" stacks up well against "Thieves Like Us," the following song, "Ghosts" seems to be an indication that the group has Low Life in high rotation, along with perhaps U2's War. A definite high point on the album, "Ghosts" is a mid-tempo burn through romantic disenchantment. Evoking images of burned-out cities, decadence and decay and a longing which is difficult to place, this is one of the most striking and haunting songs ever recorded by the group. Not only that, but it manages to be danceable in its despair - a definite candidate for rotation at a Goth club.

"Saltsick" takes the mood of the album in completely the opposite direction as act two unfolds. This song wouldn't be out of place during the happier moments of The Cure's Wish. I could envision playing it back to back with "A Letter To Elise."

The flirtation with The Cure continues with the upbeat "It Never Seems To Last," from which one can glean elements of "Push" and "Never." The album proper closes with "Canopy," a slow-burn heavy with just the right amount of guitar flange to fuck with one's head. It's a beautifully ironic song where Paley sings, "the beat's alive," not thoroughly convincing the listener that he himself is certain. It's mid tempo sway perfectly compliments the album opener, bringing the disc full-circle and leaving the listener wanting more.

While Neon Nights Electric Lives boasts seven new songs from the group (reviving a tradition of albums being brief yet devoid of filler), the potential CD-buyer is left with the impression that the disc actually contains nine new songs from the group. Listed on the back of the CD case as tracks eight and nine are the titles, "Airplanes" and "Pakistan." The truth is, however, that these are not new songs in of themselves, but remixes of songs previously in sequence on the album. At best, this type of listing is deceptive at best.

"Airplanes" is a three-minute remix of "Vertigo" done by Jade Puget of AFI. One could infer that Puget is a bit of an industrial fan from this mix, as he has managed to make The Static Age sound like Apoptygma Berzerk or VNV Nation. A good mix overall and definitely more club-friendly than the original song.

"Pakistan," the remix of "Amphibian" which adds seventeen seconds to the original song is the only serious blemish on an otherwise perfect album. Daz (of The Explosion) manages to suck all of the life out of the song, turning it into a goofy lab experiment. This mix features an electronic snare drum mixed several decibels above every other instrument and the vocal track, which have been relegated to the background. In addition, some bubbly subharmonics have been added to the mix, just in case the overly loud snare in of itself wasn't annoying enough. It is my opinion that Daz should not be allowed anywhere near a mixing board or a copy of ProTools - whichever he used to destroy this song.

Overall, Neon Nights Electric Lives is a strong follow-up to an auspicious debut. The band sounds tighter and the songwriting continues to be sharply focused. While The Static Age could be accused of being derivative, the argument falls apart when one listens to the group and realises that, despite their obvious influences, they manage to maintain a voice all of their own. They have simply taken the lessons of the groups who came before them and applied them in a glorious way. Unlike nu-wave poseurs The Killers, it is obvious that The Static Age cares about the music and it shows. If your CD collection is filled with albums by The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, U2, New Order and their ilk, then Neon Nights Electric Lives will be a welcome addition.