Seam proves U.S. music need not be angst-grunge
Seam's third LP, Are You Driving Me Crazy?, opens with a tuneful arpeggiated guitar line before exploding into a controlled rush of guitar chords. When frontman Sooyoung Park's trademark whispery vocals make their entrance, it is clear that Seam is about sculpting textured guitar workouts with solid song craft to reach a kind of emotional intensity.
Such seems to be the Seam ethic: upon first listen, it seems this Chicago (by way of Chapel Hill) quartet's motto is restraint rather than catharsis. However, Park's lyrics of failed relationships and anguish only prove the intensity and purpose of this excellent band.
The opening tune, "Berlitz," has Park regretfully confronting a lover: "It sounds right/But the words come out so wrong/Am I driving you crazy?" Park sounds ready to blame himself rather than anyone else for his troubles. In "Rainy Season," he bitterly presses his lover, "I needed you/To show some feeling/I needed you/to twist my arm."
It is this glimpse into Park's tortured psyche, where feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and awkwardness reign supreme, that makes Are You Driving Me Crazy? such a wrenching listening experience. Seam's strengths lie in the balance-of-power-and-restraint dynamics it so masterfully demonstrates. Its quiet-to-loud-and-back-to-quiet again aesthetic, as well as its penchant for melodic pop hooks sets it far apart from the rest of its fellow Touch & Go roster (Big Black, Tar, Jesus Lizard).
Similarities to other masters of melancholy angst pop -- Red House Painters, Codeine and Galaxie 500 -- seem apparent, yet Seam's trademark restrained dynamics and dramatic presentation make these comparisons seem hollow and lazy. Seam is much more than a grunge-angst act. Park's thoughtful and well-crafted lyrics are set against William Shin's melodic bass lines, which provide an interesting counterpoint to Park's and Reg Schrader's twin guitar attack. The guitar solos are tastefully restrained yet powerfully melodic; add a drummer who knows how to keep the dynamics fresh and interesting and you have one of the best albums of the year. Seam proves that American music need not be mindless grunge or noisy metal to rock.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the April 19, 1996 issue.
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