Search - tweaker :: 2 A.M. Wakeup Call

Powerful stuff - my favorite release of 2004

Rich Latta | Albuquerque, NM - Land of Entitlement | 02/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

". . . and the best album I've heard in a long while.



"ruby" - sounds like an uncertain netherworld that lies between consciousness and sleep. Employs a style similar to my still favorite tweaker track ("linoleum") which involves punctuating a gorgeous song with roaring guitars. This one's a killer, and Will Oldham has such a haunting voice. ***** INCREDIBLE



"cauterized" - an ominous instrumental. Creating palpable atmospheres you can virtually slide into doesn't get any better than this album . . . *****



"worse than yesterday" - Chris Vrenna is so much more than a mere percussionist, but the electronic rhythms he creates are in a class of their own. This particular song is a real downer, but a beautiful one. ****1/2



"truth is" - this slinky track features Robert Smith in a somewhat tragicomic serial-seducer mode, like a misogynist buttering up his prey. Unlike some other reviewers here, I'm a HUGE Cure fan. Obviously Chris Vrenna is as well, and many of the excellent electronic sounds used here were pioneered by the Cure. I'll concede that The Cure's latest self-titled release was a disappointment (and the singing was harder than ever for Cure detractors to take), but Smith pulls off a luscious lower key register on "truth is." The track is loaded with dripping electronics and pounding drum muscle at the chorus - it's one of the coolest tracks I've heard Smith on in a while. ****1/2



"remorseless" - a jarring, infectious techno track. ****1/2



"pure genius" - is a further exploration of what is probably a diabolically psychotic mind. Or maybe it's about a master card shark . . . gotta say, I really love Vrenna's taste in music and/or guest singers - David Sylvian's discography is another one of my obsessions. "pure genius" has a really sexy lounge-jazz feel to it, but it's also kinda creepy . . . *****



"it's still happening" - this song is HIGH: it's my favorite track on 2 A.M. WAKEUP CALL. Worth the price of admission alone . . . the singer has an otherworldly, almost Middle-Eastern voice and the vibe is ecstatic. ***** TIPS THE GOD SCALE



"2 a.m." - what will really blow you away is the incredible musicianship all over the album. This particular track has tuneful, twinkling guitar and out-of-this-world orchestration. Peaceful and uplifting. *****



"movement of fear" - written in part by Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets - yet more artists I love). This song comes from the days they were together in Tones On Tail. The singer sounds like Daniel Ash, but he isn't credited (- who's singing?). Thundering atmosphere with synths that drip like hot glue, an excellent Spanish-tinged trumpet - this song is yet another highlight in an album of highlights. *****



"sleepwalking away" - sounds like it could've been a great Siouxsie B-side (some of her best songs are "downside up") - polyrhythms abound and the chorus is fantastically punky. But the singer is actually Nick Young - clearly a new voice to listen for. *****



"the house I grew up in" - we're getting deep into the night as indicated by some random network on T.V. signing off into the wires with "America the Beautiful," followed by static and Johnny Marr's expertly strummed acoustic guitar. Marr certainly proves he is still in the upper echelon of guitarists on this track. It's an extremely moving instrumental. *****



"crude sunlight" - a record needle repeating the rhythm of a run-out groove gets transformed into a sensuous snare drum, then guest singer Jennifer Charles uses her oh-so-sexy voice to slice open her heart for us and pour out her darkest recesses. This cut squeezes my soul - it's also the best track on the album. ***** TRIP-HOP IN SEVENTH HEAVEN ECSTASY



. . . destined to be an all-time favorite."

Dreams, nightmares and insomnia...

Michael Stack | 07/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Former Nine Inch Nails collaborator/drummer Chris Vrenna is mostly known for production and remix work with an impressive array of artists including U2, David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, Lords of Acid, VAST, and Rob Zombie. Vrenna calls Tweaker his "quasi-solo project." 2 a.m. wakeup call is the follow-up to his 2001 debut the attraction of all things uncertain. 2 a.m is a concept album based on dreams, nightmares and insomnia-anything and everything that keeps us up at night. Vrenna, and co-conspirator Clint Walsh (formerly of Jack Off Jill) drew inspiration for the project from the time when the world is fast asleep-a time when Vrenna's wife suffers insomnia, bolting awake every night at the same time-2 a.m. I was prepared for the same programmed noises that characterized Tweaker's debut, but then, Vrenna pulled the rug out from under my ears. In these songs, he reveals a more skillful arrangement that exploits the best of his collaborations with varied guest performers Robert Smith (The Cure), Johnny Marr (The Smiths), wunderkind Jonathan Bates (aka Mellowdrone), musician/actor Will Oldham, Hamilton Leithauser (The Walkmen), Nick Young (1/2 of the Young brothers who form 2/3 of the group A.I. that also happens to feature Pablo Manzarek, son of The Doors' Ray Manzarek), David Sylvian (Japan) and Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields). Each collaborator was asked "What keeps you up at night? What do you dream about?" The result was each singer's interpretation of their answers in lyrical form. Vrenna took great pains to include live drums, acoustic guitar, piano, and glockenspiel, capturing an emotional, organic performance. 2 a.m. is a masterful work, an incredible array of layers and textures that takes a third, a fifth and a twentieth listen to catch. But the listen is well worth it."

A huge step forward.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 08/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Vrenna's Tweaker project has grown. Whereas "The Attraction to All Things Uncertain" was a decent album that showed a lot of good ideas but sometimes felt a bit too much like Vrenna's old employer, "2 a.m. Wakeup Call" is a step in the right direction. Inspired largely by his wife's insomnia, and joined this time by songwriting/construction partner Clint Walsh, vrenna delivers a much more varied and satisfying listen.



All in all, the album holds together nicely, with a dark and subdued tone, hinting at frustration, tension and impatience. It works significantly better as a statement, with the vocalist feeling additive rather than opposing as they often felt on the previous album. The music ranges from goofy and bouncey to subdued and minimalist to explosive, loud and aggressive. And while gues Robert Smith probably steals the show with his almost lazy sounding vocal on the constantly shifting "Truth Is", the whole record has got its moments, from the nearly Jane's Addiction energy of "It's Still Happening" to the delicate and plodding "Crude Sunlight" to the unnervingly haunting and brilliant Tones on Tail cover, "Movement of Fear".



It's not quite the masterpiece you'd like it to be, but its a rather good record, and its well worth the investment for fans of unique music. Recommended."