RIYL: Sound Tribe Sector 9, Umphreys McGee, String Cheese Incident
Planet Anthem is The Disco Biscuits’ first studio album since 2002, which inherently highlights how this is a band more known for their live prowess. The overdue album finds the band exploring a wider array of sonic directions, but the track selection seems to indicate that the band has fallen victim to Ryan Adams Disease – being such prolific songwriters as to lose the ability to distinguish which of your own songs are the best ones.
It’s hard to believe that anthemic live winners like “Rivers” and “Mirrors” didn’t make the cut here. “Mirrors,” introduced in the spring of 2009, is one of the most infectious tunes the band has come up with in years, and would have seemed the best chance for crossover appeal. But then, mainstream appeal has never really been a concern of these counterculture jam rockers. They’ve made a living by earning a diehard core following that will travel great distances to see multiple shows, and who aren’t particularly concerned about albums or singles.
2010 finds the livetronica stalwarts dabbling in hip-hop, dance and even disco flavors, somewhat ironic since that is not where the band’s name is derived from. Opening track “Loose Change” is one of the more intriguing songs on the album, with a big bouncy groove and some socially conscious lyrics about how “money is the root of all evil.” “On Time” and “You and I” have a dance pop flavor that may catch some fans off guard, as this is not the trance-fusion that fans have come to know and love. But the funky beat is still there. “Konkrete” has a trippy, dreamy sort of vibe mixed with a dark heavy groove. “Uber Glue” also starts out trippy, but then moves into a techno direction that is probably going to have some fans scratching their heads.
Rain Song” is one of the more unique tracks, mixing an atmospheric PJ Harvey/Morcheeba sort of vibe from guest female vocalist Ryat with the band’s psychedelic exploration. “Fish Out of Water” could well have been the name of the album, for the way the band is experimenting outside of its comfort zone. The song is more of a straight-ahead, mid-tempo rocker about a girl who’s “gonna make a rebel out of me,” with guitarist Jon Gutwillig finally taking a short solo. “Sweatbox” moves back into techno territory, but builds into a party vibe where “the room is getting hotter” with Gutwillig doing a little wailing behind his vocals.
The last three songs on the album return to the melodic jam rock sound the band is known for, showing they haven’t gone totally off the deep end. “The City” has a big beat and melodic motif with bassist Marc Brownstein getting philosophical about “sitting on a mountain top.” “Big Wrecking Ball” is even catchier, with melodic riffs and vocals from Gutwillig on a tune that seems primed to open up for live exploration. “Vacation” closes it out with an epic track that opens with some ambient ascension before shifting into space rock.
The band gets credit for taking creative risks instead of playing it safe, but some fans are likely to feel a bit puzzled about the overall output. Some of these tunes may grow on stage though, so it’s always hard to grade a jamband album when you know an incomplete is the most appropriate grade until the songs become more seasoned. (Diamond Riggs 2010)
