Speed's the name. Actually, no it's not. Speed's The Name is the name. Of a band. From Minneapolis. Who released an album called No Planets Exist. Which I enjoyed. And am now writing a review about.
There's never a dull moment on this record. It's chalk full of ear candy. The sonic palate is broad, with too many different synth sounds to count, a unique guitar tone fine tuned for each occasion. And did I hear a trumpet on track 2? And the hits, breaks, and feel changes render this music delightfully unpredictable. The interplay between the melodies and the semi-complex chord changes is another source of entertainment from this band. They take their chords seriously. Most of these tunes are driven by harmonic twists and turns, and Speed's The Name knows how to use this to grab your ear.
Lyrics were obviously an important part of the writing of these tunes. Sometimes it's bold religious commentary: "Stand in line to see the holy ghost / he'll decide what you deserve." Other times it's imagery that evokes feelings of tentative confidence: "There's a light to follow / even when blindfolded / we're alright even if and when / there aren't hands to hold onto." Sadly, elsewhere it sounds like they shoot for the ethereal, cosmic style of Modest Mouse, yet fall painfully short. According to the hook on the second track, "No planets exist / when you don't believe in circles." And get a load this one: "we are not just an episode / we're a series." Maybe I'm missing something and these lines are secretly brilliant, but either way, they failed to make it clear what they mean. As far as my listening experience was concerned, the lyrics fall between sublime and tolerable, depending on the song. But be sure to comb through this record looking for lyrical gems I didn't list here. You'll be pleased with what you find.
The first track, "Unicorn Blood," is a colorful, dreamy collection of soft synths and swaying guitars forming a rolling sea underneath the soaring vocal track. "Circles" starts off with an innocent piano-vocal intro, only to smash you over the head with a wobbly synth and continue with a constantly unfolding adventure of new melodies and timbres. "Holy Ghost" is probably the most radio-worthy track, with it's tasty melodies, pop form-structure, and…dare I say it…Killers-esque hook. "Bones" is another high point, if only for the soaring melody on the second half of it's chorus.
The record doesn't finish as strong as it started, but the last three tracks deserve at least one listen. "Devil's Meadow" is a nice acoustic break from the intensity of the other tracks, with some fancy chordwork. "Animals" has some cool breaks, and a buttery synth line bouncing around behind the clanging ride cymbals and harmonized vocal lines. "Moonlight Song" has some almost-choral vocal harmonies and a refreshingly disjunct synth break. But despite this, I'm guessing that once I'm done with this review, my relationship with this album will be more like playing the first few tracks while I'm eating cereal then cutting it and heading to the gym.
All in all, Speed's the name put out a good record. And considering the fact that you can name your own price on Bandcamp.com, there's no excuse for this collection of songs not to be on your iPod. If you enjoy No Planets Exist as much as I did, be sure to check out their back catalog, too. It's a little less colorful than this release, but just as full of entertaining moments. Thanks Peter, for turning me on to Speed's The Name!
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