Review Summary: The beaming success of 'Moonbeams' transforms into this half-enthused corona.
Throw Me the Statue made their tiny mark on the music scene by hitting a homerun right off the bat. They’ve managed to not only reel in a decent following after their debut album,
Moonbeams, but simultaneously created an album full of warmth, wonder, and freedom. It was catchy, relaxing, and intriguing (not only because it had two naked chicks on the cover). I can’t think of a better setup for an indie pop artist having his music dipped and brought to life in an indie rock pool. Scott Reitherman had his soft cooing voice and fuzzy tunes backed by Pedro the Lion member Casey Foubert, who added drum machines to complete this easy-listening project. Two years after their arrival, they release their follow-up.
For those expecting a sum of hooks equal to their debut, don’t be surprised by disappointment. On
Creaturesque, Throw Me the Statue abandons the quest for their next catchy single and focuses more on presenting an acceptable soundtrack for paradise. Reitherman’s voice is still as comforting as ever over the woodland percussion and acoustic strums. The strengths of the album come out of the clean production aiding the partly sunny mood and the thought going into it that you’re here to be soothed – not especially impressed.
The album starts off promising putting some of its best offers first. “Waving At the Shore” comes peeking in gradually making its way to become a cheerful opener with a tropical twist. It's a light song where handclaps and bells compose the poppy choruses. The lo-fi (mid-fi?) buzzes and electronically sustained chords take over the rest of the album beginning with the immediate next track, "Pistols". There is a certain allure to the quietness of the track, but the brakes may have been put on a little too early in this album for it to be taken in as it should have been.
The standout tracks throughout the album fall short in number compared to
Moonbeams, but when they appear, they electrify mixtures of happiness and snugness. Moments in "Tag" may have you swearing a young Dave Matthews (or The Shins' James Russell Mercer) took over the mic due to Reitherman's parched sighs and the sudden shift into a heavy heart. Another influence soaked track that rises above the rest is "Hi-Fi Goon". TMTS may have pawned the uncouth rhythm from Built To Spill and borrowed Weezer's vocals for the first verses in this seemingly of out place indie rocker. The upper hand clearly rests in the instances the more rock-based tracks supply. The breezy atmosphere riding along the jumpy "Dizzy From the Fall" along with the rhythm-steady "Ancestors", whose guitar sounds like a spring bumblebee, makes for tracks that should give satisfaction to any indie pop lover.
To clarify, there is nothing wrong at all with the slow and airy assembly of
Creaturesque. If you take the album closer, "The Outer Folds", you can the hear the peace in the layers of vocals easing this restful raft downriver. Now as lazy as the song is, it's the perfect close, flourishing with soft instrumentation and glowing lyrics.
When it's all said and done, Throw Me the Statue's second album falls just behind the remarkable wake of their debut. The enjoyment found is thinner and less traceable, but I wouldn't classify
Creaturesque as a sophomore slump. Keeping his primal intentions, Scott Reitherman created another moderately pleasing album to play for those light summer nights or hot days spent laying by the pool.
