Review Summary: Ages and Ages pull back on the reigns slightly, offering up some of their most contemplative work to date but sacrificing some of the joy.
Portland alt-rockers Ages and Ages have always been a combination of things. Sure, they’re most notably upbeat and optimistic. Those traits stem from the various forms of bodily percussion that they employ - handclaps, maracas, and shakers of all kinds – that lend their music a feeling of communal agreement, as if the entire neighborhood has shown up just to forget their problems and make some noise together. They’re also very much a choral pop band, as most of their tracks either begin with or culminate in an infectious group chant. At the same time, Ages and Ages adhere in many ways to the traditionally quaint, indie-folk mannerisms that have resulted in softly stated yet gorgeous ballads like ‘These Ravines.’ They’re all over the place in the best kind of way, and their lack of predictability has always kept their music fresh and alive with boisterous energy. Now three full-lengths into their career, Ages and Ages appear to have pulled things back to a refined, mellifluous flow.
Fans who belted out “do the right thing” during
Divisionary’s 2014 curtain call will miss the youthful exuberance that bellowed from each of their first two releases, but
Something to Ruin giveth just as much as it taketh away. That’s apparent from the get-go, with the milk-and-honey smoothness of ‘They Want More’ – a track endowed with superb acoustical tone and beautiful vocal harmonies. “Every old line swelters like a burned down shack, with the words so loud I could never take back”, confesses frontman Tim Perry atop a steady drum beat that, like
Something to Ruin, is in no particular hurry. It feels very much like he is sitting on his front porch, strumming his guitar and tapping his feet while carefully contemplating the past few years of his life. There’s a similar mildness across the entire record, from the bittersweet recitations on ‘Kick Me Out’ to the chilled-out, borderline flamenco vibe of ‘Cascadia Waving Back.’ The overall experience may not be as rousing as Ages and Ages at their most enthusiastic, but there’s moments of beauty here to unearth that simply would have felt out of place on
Alright You Restless or
Divisionary.
Although the stylistic detour on
Something to Ruin is executed fairly well across the board, there are certain moments that are worth the departure more than others. The title track, for instance, zigs and zags between mid-tempo alt-rock and expansive piano/synth sections, bridging the gap with stunning
ooh’s and even a pan flute. It’s a brilliant maturation of their eclectic sound, and easily a highlight on a record that is more pleasant than it is impressive. ‘Now I Know’ is another track worth focusing your attention on, delivering a poignant celebration of individuality via the infectious choral chant
hateful as they were, I was never like them. Even though such stark declarations feel a little bit pillow-fisted in such a mellow atmosphere, the lyrics and delivery make it all too relatable. Since their inception, Ages and Ages have also always possessed a knack for closing tracks – and their third installment ‘As It Is’ keeps that tradition alive and well. The towering indie-pop song delivers on all fronts, bringing back the crowd chants that made
Divisionary feel so inclusive and epic while layering vocal and instrumental harmonies to give the track both sway and swagger. It’s the kind of song to end a movie to, or the type of track that scores a profound revelation. Proponents and detractors of this record will likely be able to agree on this one, proving that at least at certain junctures, Ages and Ages have successfully fused the ecstatic sound of their past with their more grounded, subtle present.
As a whole,
Something to Ruin is a rather difficult album to assess. It’s easier as a longtime fan because you can enjoy
Something to Ruin for its successful departures without dwelling on the pleasantly inoffensive glue that holds those moments together; after all, the previous two records all but exhausted the avenue of gleefully raw choral indie-pop. However, it wouldn’t be advisable for one to start their Ages and Ages experience with
Something to Ruin because it is not an accurate representation of the heights to which the band can, and already has, reached. This will likely end up the forgotten cousin in the group’s discography – not because it isn’t good, but because it doesn’t really fit in with what the band is all about.
Something to Ruin is Ages and Ages’ experimental canvas; it has its wins – and some losses – but mostly it’s a creative means for the band to escape themselves and their own risk of stagnancy. One suspects that the group will return boisterously and more uptempo than ever by the time that fourth album rolls around.
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