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tUnE-yArDs Reviewed on this page: Now I Am Champion - BiRd-BrAiNs - w h o k i l l - Nikki Nack A quick glance at the orthography tells you that Merrill Garbus insists on doing things her own way, and a quick listen tells you that she has the talent to back it up. Sort of a Millenial Rickie Lee Jones, or a rhythm-oriented Sufjan Stevens if he were good as his press clippings suggest: Garbus crafts weird but winning lo-fi folk/hip hop using little but drum loops, a bewildering array of vocal approaches, and ukelele. She somehow manages to sound more outré than most "experimental" music, while coming off more natural and relatable than most "mainstream" music. Plus, Garbus may be the first US singer I've heard who can incorporate Afro-pop influences rather than just biting them - no, Vampire Weekend doesn't count. I've also reviewed Garbus's pre-tUnE-yArDs project, Sister Suvi, although I don't actually recommend looking into it. I suspect Garbus is one of those Joe Jackson-type reluctant stars who will intentionally discard her audience on a regular basis, like a reptile shedding its skin, so get a load of her while she's in a fairly accessible phase. (DBW) Personnel: Sister Suvi - Patrick Gregoire, vocals, guitar; Merrill Garbus, vocals and ukelele; Nico Dann, drums. tUnE-yArDs - Merrill Garbus, vocals, ukelele, drums; Nate Brenner, bass. Now I Am Champion (Sister Suvi: 2009) The first and, I believe, only release from the Montreal-based trio Garbus was briefly associated with. Singer/guitarist Patrick Gregoire fronts most of the tunes; he has a few different approaches, from David Byrne-ish uptight nerdiness ("Deadwood") to ramshackle raveups ("The Lot") to emo confession ("Longlegs"), but his indie mopiness and rote compositions pop any balloon that may be on the verge of inflating. Only a couple of tunes seem like true collaborations between him and Garbus, and they're similarly monotonous ("Desolation"; the lullaby "Agua"). While drummer Nico Dann provides flexible, reflective backing ("Claymation"), he never seizes the spotlight even when some showmanship is sorely needed ("Agua"). So the best songs are the two where Gregroire gets out of the way and lets Garbus set up a spare, repetitive backdrop over which she can unleash her wild, unpredictable vocalizing: "American" and "Champion." This is, of course, precisely the direction she would soon go with tUnE-yArDs, to which you should immediately proceed. (DBW) BiRd-BrAiNs (tUnE-yArDs: 2009) All the abilities that would make Garbus's follow-up such a wonder are present, but you have to dig for them. The fully fledged songs are marvelous ("Sunlight," with a hypnotic drumbeat and lilting refrain); the half-fledged ones (the ragged "Hatari") are as intriguing as they are consterning (not a word but it should be). Garber's mad scientist layering and looping strategies sometimes elucidate her other talents ("News," where she sounds like the young Joni Mitchell), and sometimes overshadow them ("Jamaican"), but never substitute for underlying substance. (DBW) tUnE-yArDs also put out a 2010 single; "Real Live Flesh" (also added to some BiRd-BrAiNs configurations) is decent; the B-side "Youth" is indispensable. (DBW) w h o k i l l (tUnE-yArDs: 2011) Working in a studio, Garbus cleans up the sound and expands her palette with an off-and-on horn section and occasional keyboards or guitars. Still, the focus remains on her looped, loopy vocals, from gutbucket belting ("Gangsta") to silky-smooth harmonies ("Doorstep"), in the service of pretty pop hooks diabolically deconstructed ("Powa"; the single "Bizness") with more than a touch of melancholy beneath all the lighthearted humor ("Wooly Woolly Gong"). ("My Country," stuffed with captivating melodic fragments). Afro-pop crops up on the irresistable, slyly satirical "Killa," and reggae on "You Yes You." There are a couple of minor blemishes (the repetitive "Riotriot"), but even when Garbus isn't at her best you never stop paying attention because you never know what's coming next. (DBW) Nikki Nack (tUnE-yArDs: 2014) Though Garbus is very ambitious, her idea of success isn't like everyone else's, and I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd shut down tUnE-yArDs to make field recordings of Tuvan throat singing. So I'm happy to have this, especially as a few tracks do wonderful things with the w h o k i l l template (leadoff single "Water Fountain," another of her impossibly catchy inequality critiques; "Manchild" with Bootsy-style bass). If I wanted to carp, though, I could say that "Hey Life" lifts a hook from "On Broadway," "Find A New Way" curiously echoes early 80s Yes," and several tracks vibe indefinitely without developing into songs ("Look Around"). Overall, it's glossier and less song-oriented than previous tUnE-yArDs efforts - more synth, less ukelele - and like BiRd-BrAiNs it displays Garbus's many talents without making full use of them. (DBW) I cannot take it, I'm so hip.  Main page   New additions   Pop: 00s  90s 80s 70s 60s 50s  Latin/Jazz   Top 20: DBW JA   E-mail