Search - At the Drive-In :: Vaya

Awesome little disc

Rich Routh | New Jersey | 07/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of all of ATDI's albums, I'd have to say this one is my favorite. It's short, yes, but each of the songs is of such a high quality you feel like you're getting more than just 24 minutes of music. Some of the songs, like Metronome Arthritis, 198d, and Rascuache, just totally knocked me out. Metronome Arthritis, in particular, is one of the best songs I've ever heard. The breakdown:
1) Rascuache- one of the best songs, it's a really good way to start off the album. It's pretty fast paced and very catchy. As always, Cedric's vocals shine, even if the lyrics to this song make even less sense than they normally do.
2) Proxima Centauri- a very interesting song, in the way is speeds up and slows down. The lyrics have something to do with ancient Romans in space and mention things like "spacesuit togas"- wierd, but cool.
3) Ursa Minor- I had heard this song before I bought the album and I loved it- it's another pretty catchy song. It might take some getting used to, since it's kind of offbeat, but it's another great song.
4) Heliotrope- I love the way this song starts off- the guitars ath the beginning are extremely cool. It stays pretty fast the whole way through and it's got some interesting lyrics- "Inseminating motives of a lukewarm persistence/Let the thieves in through the front door/Let them take what they've been missing."
5) Metronome Arthritis- my favorite. It starts off slow and bass-heavy, very ominous, and slowly builds to a stunning climax- "What if forensics find the answer?/What if they stole my fingerprints?/Where did I leave my book of matches?/We'll find you." It's got a great solo near the end and the lyrics are the best on the whole album.
6) 300mhz- Probably my least favorite on the whole album, it's a pretty good song nonetheless, especially near the end.
7) 198d- probably my second favorite song. It's very quiet and emotional and builds up to a brilliant end- "Tremors that hold us/Tremors that warn us/Nothing bleeds like..." A great finale to a great album- BUY IT!"

Incredible

Joan Michelson | Atlanta | 08/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't have much to say, other than this album is freakin incredible. Sure, the lyrics make no sense, but they do add to the experience quite a bit. Listening to any of ATDI's songs without Cedirc singing would just sound wrong. He's kind of like another guitar....Anyway, onto this review. I don't want to think of any fancy words right now, so I'll just say that this album is very, very exciting and different. I've never heard anything like ATDI other than ATDI themselves. Every single song on this album sounds great to me. The only problem I had with it was that it was too short (something around 30 minutes long seems too short to me). Though, I'd much rather have quality than quantity, and they deliver on the former.
Rascuache - Starts with a bang, then slows and gathers some groove/funk, then ignites again into something awesome.
Proxima Centauri - Seems offbeat at first, but the more you listen to it, the more you start to like it.
Ursa Minor - Another one of the "odd" songs that sounds wrong at first, but then turns into something exhilarating. Really.
Helitrope - This song jumps out and hits you at the beginning. And it doesn't really stop hitting you, either.
Metronome Arthritis - This song starts very slow. It's kind of an anxious slow, though, and as it progresses, you can tell something's going to happen. And it will... :) Very nice drums on the last part, methinks.
300 Mhz - Instantly very dynamic, it starts with a bang (as most songs on this album do). This is another song that sounds wrong the first time you listen to it. It grows on you, though, but slower than the rest. And for those who don't know, Cedirc isn't saying weird things in the middle - they reversed a track of his voice (At least, that's my theory). This is the only song ATDI has done that I can remember hearing any cussing on. I kind of wonder why they even included it, as it adds nothing and if it weren't for it, you could play it anywhere without anyone disapproving (of lyrics, anyway).
198d - Slow song that sounds really nice. Beginning is a little depressing, but the end gets rid of that depression with some mixture of anger/hope (which is quite an interesting emotion). Not nearly as depressing as Non-Zero Possibility (RoC)
Overall, this album is great. This was my second ATDI album, after RoC. It took a little bit of adjusting, but it's definitely worth it."

My first ATDI cd... got me hooked on them.

D. Curry | 03/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From the first lo-fi beats of Rascuache, to the spine-tingling vocal finale on 198d, this album is seriously compelling. I got this EP after I got hooked on The Mars Volta. The lyrics are compelling.



/What if forensics find the answer

/What if they stole my fingerprints

/Where did I leave my book of matches

/We'll find you



Get this EP. If you only get one ATDI cd, get this one. If I hadn't got this one first, I probably would not like ATDI. If you got some of their earlier cd's, and can't get into it, trust me and get this one. It will put them in a new perspective."