The recording industry is a strange one for jam bands. The Disco Biscuits have proven that in their latest studio release, Planet Anthem, following eight years of anticipation. Release dates have been pushed back time and again in the midst of nonstop touring, allowing for a repertoire of live albums in the meantime. Finally, the wait has ended in a bit of anti-climax. But what can you expect when a band that thrives off of live jamming hits the studio?
In line with their improvisations, they tried out an awesome innovation in releases: they threw a celebratory show. But nearly every band plays a release party. What’s the big deal, you ask? The big deal is, they streamed it live online, from backstage pregame (complete with cake) to encore, with multiple angles and quality A/V to boot. An excellent plan, it fell far short of a typical Bisco show, as the online community was quick to note. Still, you have to hope this won’t be the last up-to-the-minute concert stream.
Part of what held back the performance was the very studio sound omnipresent in the album. A “Nughuffer” segue lasting the show’s extent was punctuated mostly by what could have been pop-punk singles from the band of the week. It’s hard to believe they thought hip hop tracks like “Sweatbox” and hook-laden “Fish Out of Water” would go over with the aggregate of jam followers and ravers, but hey, at least they tried. Lesson learned.
So, while much of the album needs to be shelved for live shows, Planet Anthem does have its high points. One of those is not the vocals. Is that really an autotuner in “On Time”? Yep. Then again, the guys have never sung like angels, so that can slide. Admittedly, if not for live singing, their subpar voices could almost go unnoticed on home audio. Maybe McKenzie Eddy, who carries “Rain Song,” could give them lessons to sound like a chilled-out Karen-O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs).
Without great vocals, dirty electronic jams and instrumental breaks keep the album afloat, much like their live show. You’ll hear some of that once the album gets going, as “Uber Glue” can attest. Fittingly, in a record with as many song personas as producers, “Glue” is the song to make the album stick. It brings together their most mysterious trance-fusion in some time.
Besides mysterious, some words to describe the album’s many facets include trippy, creepy, radio-friendly, and bright. If listening to “Konkrete” in the dark causes nightmares, which it is plenty capable of, “Widgets” might calm you down. Then you’ve got “The City,” a track that puts the Anthem in Planet. Among the ups, a number of the tracks sound produced by the same guys who bring you Top 40s indie/electro-pop. Think MySpace bands. Chances are, if you love any one song here, you will also hate a few.
If the release show can be any indicator, Planet Anthem will not be a fan favorite. It may, however, attract some new ones. At this point, they have accumulated enough live albums to take a break from the norm. Even the caffeine-headache tracks will eventually lead some to an exclamation of, “hey, that’s catchy. Who are these guys?”
Bending industry rules and breaking genre lines, it can’t hurt to try a bit of everything. You just need to know what you’re getting into. In this case, that means leaving the structured songs and memorable hooks at home. Ironic, isn’t it?
