jeru

A larger than life sound with a homeliness that resonates deep, Do Make Say Think starts off You, You’re A History In Rust quietly, building gradually into a large expanse of guitar and horn on the song Bound To Be That Way. The two drummer’s interplay can be syncopated in rhythm some times and locking in for a large sound other times, the guitar plucking away at homelike melodies while the horns apply an emotive touch.

A With Living immediately ramps up the emotion with lyrics expressing a search for meaning and oneness in the chaos of the universe, which is odd for them since this is–as far as I’m aware–the first time they used vocals in an album to this point. I enjoy the makeshift choir of friends and family they used for the vocals on this song, it really adds to the theme of the song and album which seems to be to cherish one’s loved ones. “And all that’s left is us” seems to sum it all up there, drawing to a close with a bridge/outro that leads with mainly electric guitar melodic work, “ahh” vocals, and soft acoustic guitar accents…

I really enjoy the tambre of this album, like I mentioned before it’s got a homelike-yet-larger-than-life sound that resonates with me a lot, it’s “rusty” like the title implies, like the cover it’s like a piano in a rundown condition.. It’s got a natural emotive tinge that carries through the entire album. It has a nice variety of sounds like the high-energy The Universe! and the more down-to-earth A Tender History In Rust and these two being so different from each other. It’s nice to hear the laughter on the latter track after the punctuated humming, it adds to the homeliness quite a bit.

With You, You’re Awesome it comes off somewhat like a vignette, but yet conveying that same homeliness. Then leading into Executioner Blues’ syncopated beat and overdriven guitar chords, it’s quite a mood change and dynamic shift that lends to the band’s sound and as well the atmosphere on the album. As the song progresses it goes through a series of moods, transitioning first into a slow decrescendo which then builds into quite a loud segment, closing on a minor guitar and bass segment… The transition into In Mind from here is another sudden shift, acoustic guitar and finger-snapping, distant drums and electric guitar accents, banjo and horn–they all build together to color the song that’s taking form, it all leading into a noisy fuzzed-out master-track… The lyrics are straightforward and poignant:

When you die you’ll have to leave them behind,
you should keep that in mind.
When you keep that in mind
you’ll find a love as big as the sky.