Search - Bedhead :: Transaction De Novo

More Than Ever

05/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record, when compared with others in the collective Bedhead oeuvre, pales, if only slightly. There are magnificent moments, ones which contain some of their best work, and by far the best production value of any Bedhead records. Though, ultimately, when heard with the hubris displaying rock numbres (which could probably pretty offhandedly be described as "cute"), and listened to through the horrible title "Transaction de Novo," (one of many horribly-titled Bedhead records, by the way, none of which seem to make any particular sense. What is this title supposed to communicate to me, the listener? That Bedhead are just really tired of making music? That they're really bored? Well, that's just really boring) it's cheapified, if only-so-slightly.
The first song, "Exhume," which may be a subtle reference to the all-instrumental track "Inhume," goes forth at a muddy, crawling pace, which almost doesn't move at all. It's a song about transcending common-place philosophy and easy answers, in light of more profound and often-times harsh realities. "Half sunk in the mud, with one eye showing/ A cracked smile, and hair still growing/ Your hands miles apart, as if they'd never met/ You were the happiest I've seen you yet". The imagery provided matches the muddy bass line, and further solidifies Bedhead's reputation as "slo-core" heroes and near-profound songwriters.
"More than Ever" provides further insight into the Bedhead worldview, with descending guitar lines and grim future outlook. The song then segues, typically, into a crescendo-type ending. These are the two best moments on the record, a near-perfect beginning which could only lead way to fault.
"Parade" is a compressed rock piece about despair and alienation, exploding into yet another heroic Bedhead-type ending, while "Half-thought" is all intricate guitar and awesome melody.
"Extramundane," meanwhile, is as fast as a band named Bedhead could get, imaginably. Which is kind of funny to scruitinize: "I can't force myself to say something/ Anymore than I can think of a thing to do/ Anymore then you can pull yourself out of Nothing/ When there's nothing for some to do". Pretty darn profound, I'll say. The backdrop of which is angsty guitars and pace.
"Forgetting," the next song, one of many Bedhead tracks about remembering/ forgetting, etc. is as representative of The Velvet Underground as you're going to find here, complete with slide guitar and solo. Luckily, they're back on their proverbial feet with "Lepidoptera," an awesome song which I won't bother to describe. And then another unbeat track before the closer, "The Present," a wickedly morose song with repetitive guitar, melody, and also effects-- something not often heard in Bedhead songs. This is their eulogy, the last track before the "Lepidoptera" 10" they would release months later, after announcing they would disband, a hugely sad moment for manic-depressives everywhere.
It's the slight persistence of mediocrity on songs like "Forgetting" and "Psychosomatica" among others which prevent this from becomming their defining record, unfortunately. There's just a slight sense of being rushed, somehow. Luckily these missteps are redeemed with an overwhelming amount of beaty and simplicity characteristic of this band.
Truthfully, when I listen to these songs I know that no rock band will ever be able to convey the sense of sadness contained in these songs again. The sense of making every note count, and just really feeling it. So pick this up; pay attention. It might mean a lot to you."

Best album of '98

luther rochester | chicago, il USA | 03/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"these guys have it down. this album contains mellow, singsongy-parts, upbeat rockers, electronics mixed with organics beautifully, and to top it off, INCREDIBLE production by steve albini. my favorite song is "the present," which is a perfect parting song for a great band (they called it quits after this release). everything bedhead recorded is gold. if you like this, you'll like their entire catalog."

Lovely

Macro Micro | San Francisco, CA United States | 02/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had heard of this band before, but never really knew anything about them until I picked up this LP a few weeks ago.. Since then I don't think it's been off the turntable more than two or three times. This is perfect music.Bedhead has three guitar players, and after listening the album a few times, it seems that none of them is ever playing more than one note at a time, except in the few quasi-punk moments. Instead, each guitar is given a melody, and the three work together to create a simple but beautiful "post-rock" counterpoint, as a friend of mine so pretentiously described it. Something I realized after about ten listenings is that the singer is actually kind of mediocre. But it does not matter at all; his voice is perfectly suited for the subdued style, and anything more virtuosic would be out of place. Sure, if you were to listen to the vocal track only, it probably wouldn't be too enjoyable, but that's a negligible point -- and I find it rather charming. In general, the music here seems simple and like it would be easy to play. But the expertise lies in the songcrafting, not the musicianship (although they may in fact be very accomplished musicians -- i don't know, and don't really care). This is truly a classical approach -- to focus on simple individual ideas and weave them into an indcredible piece of music. "More than Ever" and "The Present" stand out in particular, although there isn't a weak spot on the album."