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The Rice Thresher
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It's no surprise that the Glands hail from Athens, Ga., a landmark in the world of indie pop -˙it's apparent from their self-titled sophomore album, released last year on Capricorn, that they've studied the greats and distilled their moves into something familiar, yet altogether new. At times I can hear the strident guitars of Built to Spill, the meek, off-beat Modest Mouse/Flaming Lips falsetto, and the mellow pop sensibilities of Guided By Voices. The Glands work a lot of variety into their langorous music, occasionally dipping into anything from roots to new wave. Take, for instance, the lovely "Fortress," which begins with bell-like keyboards intermingled with scratchy, slow guitars. Next is "Work It Out," in which there's an unexpected amount of classic rock star posturing: "I love your maaaaw/I love your paaaw," vocalist Ross Shapiro sneers. "I love your sis/just like a sister/just a little more." The lyrics are simple and fitting for the music. However, the Glands get a bit lazy sometimes, throwing in the occasional clich‚, like "It hurts me when I laugh/all the way to the bank" in "When I Laugh," and "That's what I saw/that the grass is always greener on the other side" in "Ground." Simplicity works for them in one of my favorite tracks on the disc, though. "Swim," which includes a brief instrumental prelude, is a jaunty little ditty about the ocean inviting a guy named Joe to go swimming. The lyrics and the music are playful, even bouncy, but not in an annoying way. And to top it off, there's a hint of fiddle that reminds me of Dirty Three. The Glands show how to borrow from other bands without wearing their influences on their collective sleeve. Check them out at Rudyard's (2010 Waugh Dr.) tomorrow, where they're playing after a stint at South by Southwest. - Mariel Tam
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