completely back and fourth
At first glance, Pete Yorn's new album, "Back and Fourth," would seem to be more focused on past relationships than most things philosophical, and it would be hard to argue with that. But there is still more substance lying beneath this thin, accessible veneer. Track-by-track, the album is very strong, which is important considering there are only 10 songs.
It begins easily enough with "Don't Wanna Cry," which is one of my least favorite songs out of this group. While it may be just as heartfelt, or even more so, than the other 9 songs, "Don't Wanna Cry" works too hard to establish the aforementioned surface layer of radio-friendly, heartache-filled lamentations that hold the album back. It's the kind of song that could be extremely personally applicable at one point but useless the other 70+ years of your life. Well, that might be a bit harsh; the lead-off song is perfectly listenable.
"Paradise Cove" is a bit more fun, even if it also largely deals with love. "I got what I wanted when you showed up, I got what I wanted and it wasn't enough," the speaker admits; although the first song was also introspective, this track features better writing and dives a bit deeper (pardon the beach-related pun). The honesty in the second half of the song is evidence of Yorn's maturity as a songwriter - this isn't your typical love-song. "When you talk, it makes me cringe. You want so bad to have meaning, but you're empty and draining," he says. "Your life's intersected when mine's disconnected."
"Close" could perhaps be as strong a single as "Don't Wanna Cry," with arguably a far more enjoyable chorus. The song also, unsurprisingly, talks of relationships, and does so in the frequently-traversed area of regret and the persistence of time: "I don't have the time to go back in time - I already lived it...Just stay close; wait for the stars until they realign, just like the first time." It's unique enough to differentiate itself from the usual drivel found on the radio, even if the lyrics aren't as reflective as someone like Sam Beam's. From a purely entertaining standpoint, this is one of the best songs on the album.
Speaking of Sam Beam, the first three seconds of "Social Development Dance" almost made me think I was listening to Iron & Wine's "Each Coming Night," but that deceptive start doesn't lead to a huge letdown as it very well could. It's one of the most complex story-songs on the album. The singer tells of his liaisons with a somewhat promiscuous woman, and it ends tragically. There's honesty here as well, and some beauty to the recollection; he reconciles the mundane and even the shallow and perverse, and manages to construe a recognition and appreciation of more substantive things. This may seem nebulous, but consider a song that juxtaposes lyrics about "Googling in quotes" and "something missing in us, we tried to make it whole..." It is a difficult song to explain and truly warrants a listen.
"Shotgun" is another pre-release song most fans will already be aware of. It's a third choice for airtime on your local radio station, and it's rather hard to get into the lyrics/themes because of the overly pop-rock-ish tune and gratuitous use of the word "baby," so I won't even try. Like "Don't Wanna Cry," it's listenable, and by no means a bad song.
I expected "Last Summer" to be the same version that was on Yorn's MySpace page long ago, but it turns out that that was a more acoustic version. I think I prefer the unreleased version. This is another more rocking tune, and, like "Close," it talks of not being able to "go back again, to repeat what we once had." We've all been there, Pete. You'll be OK. In my estimation, it's one of the few forgettable tracks on the album.
"Thinking of You" is a pretty simple song with some good instrumentation, and picks the album back up a bit. While it may be lyrically weak ("I've been thinking of you a lot this morning, for the 57,000th time today" - really?), the uncontrollable nature of our existence is another common theme ("I can't change anything"). From a musical standpoint, I enjoy this song quite a bit.
"Country" is fairly standard fare. It continues the honesty of other songs; "I can never love you like the way you love me...These are things I can't ignore." These lines are reminiscent of "All At Once." Still, there's something pleasant about its tone, and it made me smile to hear the allusions to "Just Another" made during the closing beats. Plus, I like the thought of living in the country, so I'm partial to this one.
I don't know if "Four Years" is about Pete Yorn's personal maturation, but it basically just talks about someone finding himself, even if that development is not readily apparent to others. The chorus is memorable and cheery.
I discussed "Long Time Nothing New" after it played during an episode of some show. It remains one of my favorites among this collection, and it's even better without the voice-over from the CW.
As a pre-order bonus, the song "Rooftop" is included. I scoffed at this initially since I've had that song for years (near the release of his first album), but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a completely remade version. It's even more mellow than the original version and the slower pacing feels quite nice, and it fits in well with the other songs. It would probably be one of my favorites on the album if it were truly, properly included.
It could be easy to under-appreciate this album. It's not Yorn's best, but it's far from his worst, and, with 10 tracks, the emphasis was clearly on quality over quantity. It seems that Yorn has really stressed honesty in his songwriting and moved away from the generic filler-songs that dotted some of his first three efforts. For the effort put in and the introspection involved, this is a solid composition that should not be ignored. Music can be profoundly affective when it coincides with certain events in a listener's life, and I imagine that "Back and Fourth" has the potential to be influential for the right people. For those who are not currently lovelorn, there's still a lot here to enjoy.
You can currently listen to "Back and Fourth" in its entirety on Pete Yorn's MySpace page, then buy the album on (preferably) Amazon or, if you must, iTunes.
the good singer and the pretty woman
Well here's something I hadn't heard before: Scarlett Johansson, in addition to being a very attractive actress, is a singer. Or she's trying to be. She's already released one unsuccessful album, but that's not what this is about. Apparently she also recorded an album with none other than Pete Yorn back in 2006 and it's going to get released this September - probably more for the names on the cover than the quality of the music.
You can read about the album and download the first MP3 single, "Relator," from this website. It's a pretty upbeat song (even if the lyrics aren't chipper) for an album titled "Break Up." Scarlett doesn't embarrass herself in the song, but she's got a gramophone-esque style going on. Needless to say, this collaboration feels a bit strange, and it serves to reinforce the prolific Yorn as a record label's best friend (I'll have over 100 songs from the man after "Back and Fourth" comes out in a few weeks).
Somewhat interestingly, I just noticed that one of the songs on the duet album is "Shampoo," which I just happened to be listening to and noting the female vocals. The song was on Yorn's MySpace page two years ago and is actually pretty good. With a little bit of digging, I discovered an old entry on "I Am Fuel, You Are Friends" that discussed the mystery of who was singing with Pete in the song; that mystery has now been resolved, as it seems the artist had given us a bit of Ms. Johansson's voice far sooner than we could know what to do with it.
something new
Want to hear another song from Pete Yorn's upcoming album "Back and Fourth"? Right now the CW's website has the full episode of "One Tree Hill" that features Pete's song "Long Time Nothing New." Of course I don't recommend watching that show, so just skip to 38:30 to hear the song, with plenty of sappy dialogue over it. You'll have to suffer through a couple of commercials too, but I will say that this is the best song I've heard from the new album. There's no doubt it will be more enjoyable without these caveats, but it will do if you're curious about the sound of the album. After several listens, I'd go so far as to say that "Long Time Nothing New" really sounds like a song that could belong on "musicforthemorningafter," and that's quite a compliment. Some lyrics:
Same old town
Loose ends surround me
Always drags you down
Don't let it get you downSame four walls
Don't mean anything
To anyone
It's all you talk about
As you see yourself
Break outI've seen you this way before
A life's strained but true
What are we waiting for?
It's been a long time, nothing new
There are some bonuses for pre-ordering the album via iTunes: you get two bonus tracks (one of which is a very old, rare song called "Rooftop," the other which is new), and you get to download the album a week before it becomes available anywhere else. The other perk is that you get to pay $0.99 and download "Don't Wanna Cry" immediately, which would be cool if the song hadn't already been released for free all over the place. I actually installed iTunes (unthinkable!) before I came to my senses and realized that it wasn't worth it. It sure was fun manually uninstalling the Apple Update, iPod monitor, and QuickTime programs that Apple nonchalantly and covertly installed along with iTunes. 
I'll just wait until the release date and get it from Amazon so I can keep saying that Steve Jobs has none of my money.
democratic party liaison
The Internet is abuzz with Kumar's restlessness, so I'll give my take. First off, what would be a natural job move for someone whose resume includes acting in such films as "Van Wilder," "Malibu's Most Wanted," "Epic Movie," and "Harold & Kumar"? If you guessed an appointment to Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison, you'd be correct. For those who haven't heard, apparently the Obama administration sees potential in 32 year old actor Kal Penn; hopefully it's a side not evident in his big screen performances. I have no idea what the duties of such a position might be, but knowing that our taxes will be paying his salary from now on is truly comforting.
Hey, Reagen can become President, Arnold can become governor...surely Kumar can fill such a fictituous office position adequately...right? I don't think the nation really has anything to worry about, but it's still pretty ridiculous. Interestingly, someone I know had the "pleasure" of personally meeting Mr. Penn and the general impression was that he came off rather rude. Perhaps the Public Liaison position doesn't require good people skills?
On the other hand, we definitely should worry if the other Mr. Penn is given a job in politics.
Lastly, to free himself up to take the new position, Kal's character was killed off of the show "House" (which I don't watch). I don't really care, but Pete Yorn's song "Lose You" (one of his finest) was played during that portion of the episode. Kind of a nice way to go out; you can see the clip here, if it remains available.
back and fourth
Pete Yorn has a new song out, called "Don't Wanna Cry." You can listen to it on his website or you can download the MP3 for free for a limited time from www.spinner.com. It starts out pretty gently and escalates to a relatively rocking conclusion. It almost sounds like it belongs on his "Westerns" EP, but it will be leading off "Back and Fourth." The track listing for the new album is available on his MySpace page:
- Don’t Wanna Cry
- Paradise Cove
- Close
- Social Development Dance
- Shotgun
- Last Summer
- Thinking of You
- Country
- Four Years
- Long Time
Analyzing the 10 new songs on the album, we see that three of them have actually already been made available for previewing. We have the aforementioned track, and there's also "Shotgun," which is currently still featured on his MySpace page. Right after "Shotgun" is a track that was on the MySpace page last year, called "Last Summer." It's a long song with some good instrumentation, but I can never understand why singers try to do weird things with their voices. Just belt it out, man.
I'm still undecided about "Back and Fourth." His last album was quite good, but it had "The Man" on it, which is a phenomenal song, so that helped boost it up quite a bit. Fortunately, summer music releases allow for plenty of time to play the songs over and over again until your brain is numb and accepting. Perhaps that will be the case?
it has a date
It's fun to have specific things to anticipate. While it may seem a bit foolish to get worked up about little things in the midst of economic strife and whatnot, having a date in mind as you trudge through one frustrating microbiology exam after another can really help make the time fly. And now we have that date.
June 23, 2009
Pete Yorn
"Back and Fourth"
Note the clever wordplay, it being his fourth album and all. Any details are yet to be released. Maybe Pete will be going "back" to what made his debut album so successful?
It feels like all I've talked about lately is music, but that's just what's been catching my attention in my bit of time not spent (unsuccessfully) memorizing bacterial names. I might as well mention that I've been listening to "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)" on Bob Schneider's MySpace page continuously. It's going to be on his new album and it's an excellent song, both lyrically and musically. The man is amazing at mixing different musical styles.
precious stone
About 30 minutes ago, a new Pete Yorn song called "Precious Stone" debuted on WERS 88.9 FM Boston. It's a pretty decent rock song, and may be on one of his albums coming out later this year. For those who missed the debut, the radio stream was recorded and the MP3 uploaded here:
- Pete Yorn - Precious Stone
(Link removed. Perhaps the song will be made available sometime soon.)
Pete's website has been updated as well, although there isn't a lot of new information there right now - it's mainly links to various social networking sites. But the fact that changes are taking place is a sign of progress, and hopefully some more details about his forthcoming releases will be made available soon.
Update 7/27/10: The song has been made available for free here.
i can only change my view
I'm about a week late, but you can download two "new" Pete Yorn songs in high-quality from the Fuel/Friends "blog" here. They've been on his MySpace page for a while but who enjoys streaming music from a Flash player? One song, "Shotgun," is from his new album which will hopefully be coming out this year, while the other song, "Sans Fear," should appear on a new EP. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of new PY music..."Shotgun" has a pretty slick beat.
As for upcoming music:
- Bob Schneider - Tarantula (April 7th) - Bob's been all over the place with his music, but he's still making it well. His last full release was a bit hard to get a hold of, but still had some solid tracks, even if it couldn't come close to Lonelyland or I'm Good Now. I have high hopes for this one.
- Joe Purdy - Last Clock on the Wall (2009?) - This album is still listed as "Coming Soon," even though the original date was for 2008. Hopefully it will be out this year, and I can relax with some more mellow folk tunes.
- Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major (2009?) - My enthusiasm for this one has been curbed quite a bit since the Red Star EP came out and its rumored heavyhanded political bias was easily confirmed. Still, ignoring all lyrics and the tendency of rock bands to jump on soapboxes to push their opinions to their fans, there's something endearing about hearing the unmistakable 3EB sound after so many years. Surely the entire album can't be about gay Republicans...can it?
- Sara Watkins - Sara Watkins (April 7th) - Notice how this album is due out the same day as Bob Schneider's new album? Coincidence? I think not. Sara Watkins (of Nickel Creek fame) is making her solo debut, and I don't think she'll disappoint. But those who are not fans of fiddle music or female vocals should look elsewhere.
Also on the horizon are new albums from The One AM Radio (sometime this year, I hope) and Guster, a band that's been around forever and still seems able to make some sweet tunes.
no night after “nightcrawler”
Man, you've gotta stay on your toes if you want to keep up. Apparently there was a Pete Yorn song up on his MySpace page that I've already missed out on - "Favorite Song," and comments were favorable, but now it's gone. He'll probably treat it like he did "Old Boy," and add it back eventually. But right now there's another new song up, called "Stronger Than," and it's pretty good. I'm not going to advocate anything illegal, but it may be possible to download the MP3 (at 192 KBPS, theoretically) using this method. Remember, this is just theoretical...in theory. 
Excerpt from Pete Yorn's "Stronger Than":
Love is stronger...
Stronger than fear
I could love her...maybe next year
Love is stronger...
Stronger than fear
Gotta know myself before I know someone else
I think I never been in love
Oh, maybe once when I was younger
I see what they were speaking of
Oh, maybe next time I'll know better
Can you make me happy? No no no
Can you make me sad?
I gotta know myself before I know someone else
For those who haven't heard "Old Boy," also by Pete Yorn, it was released on a compilation album a couple of months back. You could buy the whole "Green Owl Comp," but it's probably loaded with garbage. You could just buy the MP3 from Amazon, but it's listed as "Album Only." Same goes for the Zune...I can't check iTunes because I don't have it installed (nor will I ever). But here's a tip: you can buy the song on its own for $0.94 from none other than Wal-Mart's music store, for some reason. Maybe they didn't get the memo that it was supposed to be album only.
Whatever the case, it's available as a 256 KBPS MP3, totally DRM-free, and a glorious way to spend a buck. It's not that "Stronger Than" isn't good, but songs like "Old Boy" are rare.
more uncanny correlations
Here's another look-alike contest for you: one's a professional baseball player who just single-handedly destroyed the Braves in their second game of the 2008 season, and the other is a former drummer turned rock singer who created one of the best CDs of all time. Can you guess which is which?
That's right...they're pretty much the same man. I wouldn't be surprised if Pete Yorn played baseball during the summer under the pseudonym Xavier Nady. How did I tell them apart? It's all about the hair.