2004 was quite an amazing yet very taxing year for SCARLING. It included the release of their 7-song EP Sweet Heart Dealer, a nomination for the Short List award, an opening spot on the Curiosa Tour, the loss of two band m... more »embers and many other Joycean moments. SCARLING.'s current line-up is Jessicka, Christian Hejnal, Rickey Lime and new drummer Beth Gordon. The band's new album So Long, Scarecrow is a collection of songs about mutual malaise, self-exploration, melancholy, heart's resilience and general frustration. It is 50 minutes of art-damaged, fuzz-guitars and cough syrup-induced vocals, and is being co-produced by Rob Campenella (BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE).« less
2004 was quite an amazing yet very taxing year for SCARLING. It included the release of their 7-song EP Sweet Heart Dealer, a nomination for the Short List award, an opening spot on the Curiosa Tour, the loss of two band members and many other Joycean moments. SCARLING.'s current line-up is Jessicka, Christian Hejnal, Rickey Lime and new drummer Beth Gordon. The band's new album So Long, Scarecrow is a collection of songs about mutual malaise, self-exploration, melancholy, heart's resilience and general frustration. It is 50 minutes of art-damaged, fuzz-guitars and cough syrup-induced vocals, and is being co-produced by Rob Campenella (BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE).
""So Long Scarecrow" is definitely a shoegaze album; distortion and breathy vocals abound. Jessicka's voice is at its most grown-up. The music is beautiful, and the lyrics are sumptious, hushed and thought-provoking. This is a complete departure from Jack Off Jill, unlike "Sweetheart Dealer" which retained some of JOJ's ferocity, and I appreciate that--this is a completely different band, after all.
My only problem with this CD is that some of the songs started to sound alike after a while. There are no songs to sing along to (I like to exercise my lungs in the car, what can I say?) like there were on "Sweetheart Dealer" (such as "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole"). Also, the constant static-y distortion started to give me a headache after a while, but I could have just been having a bad day.
Obviously, despite its faults (IMHO), I gave it four stars, so I recommend this album if you are a Scarling fan or a shoegaze aficionado, or just looking for something that you won't find on mainstream radio."
So Long, Other Albums
I. Neal | Nottingham, UK | 09/02/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After we were left with a beautiful aural bruising in 2004, L.A. based Scarling. could have driven their music many different ways. Every single song on their seven-track debut, Sweet Heart Dealer, left a different impression. It's hard to imagine before listening to So Long, Scarecrow, that Scarling. could create yet another different mark, having left so many already. Nevertheless, each of the thirteen tracks taken from this stunning LP have new emotion and new beauty whilst retaining the depth and texture which makes their sound so original in the first place.
The opening track is the first step at introducing you to a whole new plethora of feeling. Firstly Beth Gordon takes one cannon-fuelled bang on the drum and the two seconds you wait, for the rest of the album to start, with a distant fading of sound seems like a lifetime. Like small children at a sweetshop, you're then dragged in by a multitude of stimuli. Jessicka adds sincere vocals that warm to the heart. The mixture of melodic majesty that pours from the guitars of Christian Hejnal, Derik Snell and Rickey Lime is the kind of music you only wish you could create.
Being able to manage a profusion of sound that resonates music made by My Bloody Valentine and yet having a completely archetypal sound at the same time takes absolute genius. From songs like "Northbound On (Cahuenga)" that create a quiescent atmosphere to the noise-pop "City Noise", it's clear that Scarling. have created a masterpiece. If you've ever wanted to effectuate love, all you need do is hit play.
Accessible chaotic beauty bleeds through your stereo on "Stapled To The Mattress". Every word that splits from Jessicka's lips fractures the valves in your heart.
... "You're naked,
And shaking,
Like a two-bit Judas," ...describes exactly how you feel when you're still only forty-five seconds into the song. This song is an emotional reflection of the album as a whole. It's the perfect picture of a stunning range of talent: lyrically, musically and vocally.
It would be extremely easy to write pages about each song that appears on So Long, Scarecrow but this album has mystery like no other album I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. Perhaps "Sweet Heart Dealer" was an experiment, an idea, a step-between a previous and a present. "So Long, Scarecrow" is evolution, a future and a whole lot more that you're just going to have to not stop listening to ...
"
So Long Scarling (At least, if they continue in this directi
Ivory Isis | Missouri | 12/01/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Being a big fan of Jessicka's first musical triumph, Jack Off Jill, I wanted to support her new band. I was pleasantly surprised that Scarling's first songs made me very happy, and eager to hear more, even though I knew the band was supposed to be nothing like Jack Off Jill. There's nothing of the innovative, even plain strange riffs from Jack Off Jill, or from their first album, 'Sweet Heart Dealer' on this CD, though - and it's just not that much fun to listen to. The only song I've really liked on the CD is 'Bummer' because it has a catchy "ba bop ba" chorus, and 'In The Pretend World' and 'Caribou and Cake' are interesting enough, but most of the other songs just plain bore me. I enjoy listening to lyrics, but even the lyrics aren't catchy enough for me to get into, and the music is just very repetitive throughout the CD. One song blends into another, and pretty soon, you find yourself falling asleep. The sounds just aren't original, and I would have been happier if they had carried along in the direction I thought they'd been headed with 'Sweet Heart Dealer.' The CD itself is just plain baby blue with no words whatsoever on it, and it accurately describes what the contents therein.. just plain bland, blah, and boring. I would still recommend 'Sweet Heart Dealer' to anyone interested in supporting Jessicka's newest efforts, or in supporting new bands in general, but I am afraid to recommend this CD to anyone who isn't going to use it for relaxation or for falling asleep to.."
A Descent
GJ | Illinois | 09/19/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"So, I tried out the new Scarling album, So Long, Scarecrow. Unlike their last release which was only an EP, this one is a full-on LP and basically twice as long. I had high hopes for it, but after listening I have to say I was pretty let down. That's not to say it's bad, it's just not anything special in really any way.
Their EP, Sweet Heart Dealer, was smart, edgy and simultaneously sweet and brutal. Jessicka's trademark childlike vocals beautifully meshed with the distored guitar and layered drums the rest of the band provided. They were dynamic and had an excellent balance of energy, making them fully capable of going between faster and slower pieces mid-song very cohesively.
On So Long, Scarecrow a lot of this is lost. Jessicka seemingly attempts to force herself to push away from the vocal style she is known for and instead sounds a little above a whisper most of the album. The dynamic, alluring aspects of her voice are largely masked, although she does break out again on a few songs. I'm not sure if she just felt this fit the songs better or if she's trying to separate herself from her Jack Off Jill past.
The music itself, barring a few tracks, just has no real energy. It's the type of distorted wall of noise you'd expect from a band that takes cues from My Bloody Valentine, only made far more low-key and dull. Some of it seems like the mastering... as if the levels were just pulled way down to create a "suffocating" effect. Sadly, thanks to this, the songs blend almost entirely into one another. I skipped around a few and jumped into them at random times and almost couldn't tell I went to a different track. A good portion of them just run too long as well; there's no reason for "Hello London" to be over five minutes in length.
I don't want to right out call it "generic", but that's probably the best description for it... No one that listens to their self-proclaimed influences is going to find anything new or overly special here.
Perhaps Scarling are best suited for shorter EPs. Perhaps the EP was somewhat of a fluke. Perhaps they're just in a place now that won't interest me and in the future they'll do something I'll really love again. Perhaps I'm just in the wrong mood for this type of music. I have no idea what the "issue" is, but I'm not all that happy with it.
All I really know is that I put back on Sweet Heart Dealer right after this and appreciated it even more than I have in the past."
Absolutely brilliant
Eric Harville | Heidelberg, Germany | 10/20/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album was so amazing I couldn't stop listening to it. It has great vocals with amazingly well-played instruments with lyrics to match. My fave song on this album is called "in the pretend world". it always leaves me wanting more from this amazing band. I can't wait to hear what they will do next. Keep up the good work."