The secret that many bands and labels don't want you to know is that you can tell a lot about an album just by listening to one track. The caveat is that not just any old track will do; a selection must be made that captures the essence of the project -- one that is the relative center of the work. In effect, this track is the spirit of the album. It is the Rosetta Stone for which all other pieces are translated and comprehended, one which enlightens the audience about the intention of the music and offers a deeper understanding about the band's creative process. An arch couldn't exist without a keystone, and similarly an album cannot reach its full potential without a center.
My Education make it easy for us by starting off Bad Vibrations with such a track. "This Old House" introduces the Texan quintet's newest offering by way of repetitive guitar lines and bass drums. The background contains stray sounds -- a vibraphone, viola, careening ambience -- folding ever so smoothly into the mix. At over eight minutes in length, "This Old House" is the longest My Education has to offer on Bad Vibrations, and as it progresses the instruments steadily increase in volume and are forced to birth a swelling climax. The bass drum gradually makes its way to the foreground, pounding out a vitriolic beat, and is soon joined by guitars spiraling out of control with monstrous effects. So the stage is set; My Education announces its blend of post-rock cum psychedelic-gypsy-folk with no real heed given to traditional methods.
There's some discrepancy about which "album" Bad Vibrations is in the band's catalog. Their website claims it to be a fourth, yet I consider the excellent 5 Popes and Moody Dipper to be extended plays, and would call this a second album. It's all splitting hairs though; unlike many, My Education doesn't restrict refining their sound to albums and have progressed steadily along smaller releases. 5 Popes, the band's debut (we'll all agree), presented them as a pretty standard post-rock band in a post-Mogwai world. Although an accomplished CD, it hadn't quite cemented them into their niche in the instrumental rock world. Italian followed four years later in 2005, containing some outstandingly creative music ("Snake in the Grass" & "Green Arrow" in particular) and witnessing the band move towards a more distinct sound. This was also when the violin was dropped from the lineup, leaving only the viola as the sole non-guitar string instrument. The flip side of Italian was that it caught the band mid jump into their new sound and did come off as somewhat of an identity crisis. Moody Dipper showed strong progression again, dipping their feet into more experimental waters and sounding more spontaneous with their writing process. Hints of classical influence also began to creep up into the framework, as well as a strong dependence on folk structures, putting them in a league with Dirty Three and (early) Grails.
Bad Vibrations is the moment in time where My Education has reached its full potential and can rightfully claim to be called leaders, not followers, in the instrumental world. Built upon foundations of post-rock and psych rock, both are safely cleared by the completion of the disc to give the feeling that a new height has been reached during the span of the album. What transpires is something that is less post-rock and less psychedelic than most of their peers. There is some similarity to be found with some of the dusty U.S. brethren such as Japancakes or Foxhole on occasion, as well as some classically inclined segments, but the leading story is that My Education has come to town, they've brought their own sound, and anyone within earshot is going to have to take notice.
"Arch" is arguably the most standard post-rock track on the new album, perhaps calling back to the days of 5 Popes. An elaborate game of cat and mouse occurs between the viola and rhythm guitars. The first half of the track has the viola as the dedicated lead. It swiftly moves through galloping drums, cool vibraphones, and obedient guitars. Several times the guitars threaten to take the lead, but are beaten back on each occasion. The pattern continues -- viola soars skyward and the guitars bring it back down to earth. Then the switch occurs; the pattern is broken quite literally and the guitars begin their massive accumulation of noise. The viola is immersed in the noise, recklessly flailing to keep its position in the piece but inevitably overcome by the gigantic wall of sound. As the final waves comes crashing down to wipe the sonic landscape clean of foreign noise, no sounds can be heard except the raw screeching of the mighty guitars.
"Britches Blanket" is the second shortest full track on the album, but it doesn't skimp out on any dramatics. It begins with some pretty, flower composition utilizing plucked guitar and viola intertwining to marvelous effect. If my ears aren't deceiving me I also hear the occasional cry of a pedal steel, which plays contently in the background with the vibraphone and piano. For the most part, the vibes are kept as auxiliary support; this greatly complements My Education's style, but the rogue inside me wonders what they could do with some fanatical vibe-playing. All is nice and innocent, but not really as electrifying as the first two tracks. My Education balances the forces of energy well, never being heavy handed with explosive effects or too languid with their guitar noodling. Just as we start to suspect that "Britches Blanket" is fading into the latter, in comes a dynamic shift to shake things up that would make Red Sparowes proud. The sudden onset is sure to take even the most experienced listener by surprise and maybe even knock a few clear out of their seats. A melange of instrumentation hits the proverbial fan as the guitars have their first real psychedelic freak out of the album. Doors are blown wide open, windows shattered...this old house is getting rocked.
My Education returns to the template of "This Old House" on "Mother May I." The track is cyclical and more minimal than its surrounding neighbors, which allows greater use of the pedal-steel, providing a nice contrast to the lunging viola with wavering shrieks and high strung tension. The build reaches a more impressive zenith, one that is more vibrant and filled with shimmering ambience than the pulsating climax of "This Old House." It's this scorching finale that shrugs off the Japancakes sound and reaches for new heights, while simultaneously reconnecting with the albums larger arch. "Aria," the shortest track on the album, digs into darker soil with a spotlight on the haunting notes of the piano. Throw in a stunning burst of energy from the viola and we've got an unexpected playful side emerging in the middle of Bad Vibrations. The spirited sounds continue through "Sluts and Maniacs," which sound vaguely like Cue hijacked by a bunch of bandits, the violin sadly broken in the process.
The album ends with the title track. Another twist emerges when the band slyly exists the stage on an ambient note. Although My Education certainly enjoys rocking out, as at least four of the tracks have shown, "Bad Vibrations" seeks to find a different level of clarity. The tone is different; it's a brighter, lighter piece that almost conceptually separates itself from the work that precedes it. In actuality, the album returns full circle to where it started, at its center. This track is the last piece of the puzzle, providing a strong connection between the ambient works that provide much of the backbone and subtle undertones to My Education's work. Guitars and pedal-steel join the keyboard in the noise making, but, as if often the case with these types of tracks, everything melts into one singular entity, morphing and evolving as time progresses.
Two thoughts strike me as the album closes. First is that even though the album is filled with strong tracks, none of them overpower the others. My Education has carefully selected which to include on this outing and the album is greatly unified behind a common purpose. Sure, personal favorites are bound to pop up from person to person, but I can't imagine one becoming the universal favorite over another. Each makes its case quite convincingly when it needs to, but none of the tracks really sound like they want to be the "the best" anyway. This is great craftsmanship, and should be noted. Secondly is the maturity of the band since its last album (Italian). They've come a long way since 2005 and any returning fan should be able to acknowledge that this is their finest moment yet. Even with some extra hands in the studio, nothing sounds out of place or unnatural to their setup. Bad Vibrations is a smooth ride from beginning to end.
As the album concludes, a real sense of accomplishment settles onto the album. My Education have quite possibly made an album that looks at the post-rock envelope sitting on the table and pushes it a little bit, if only a tiny amount. Or maybe they ignore the envelope all together and hurries back into the rehearsal space to get working on their next album. At worst, Bad Vibrations is a picturesque album that highlights how great post-rock sounds when executed so precisely and shall be widely sought after by champions of the genre. At best, the album is something much more: a truly unique creative statement. Whatever the verdict, there's nothing bad in these vibrations.
-Jordan Volz