Spiritualized
Let It Come Down
- Spaceman/Arista/BMG
Release Date: 2001
Let's say a boat leaves port, shiny and new. Along its travels, accidents
and wear require that it be repaired. The journey is so long, that when it
returns to its original port, all of the original hardware has been
replaced. So, is it the same boat?
According to J. Spaceman (aka Jason Pierce), it definitely is.
After a retooling of Spritualized from top to bottom, which included pink
slips for all of the other members and a newfound sense of sobriety, "The
Highest Band on Earth" is now a drug-free, one-man show. With the
long-awaited release of Let It Come Down, Pierce finally presents his vision
of a new and improved Spiritualized, stripped down and cleaned up.
And honestly, it's about the same. The new tracks tread the same territory
as the old. The gospel hymnals, the superfuzz rockers, and the spacey
lullabies all make appearances. There is a lighter production sensibility
than we have seen on past outings, but lyrically, sonically and technically
its the same Spirtualized. The only memorable things about this record is
that, for once, Jason Pierce seems.happy. The junkie road to salvation seems
to be remembered here with a slight smirk. The Lord has lightened his load
and Pierce shall praise Him with all the joyful noise he can muster.
Unfortunately for us, it's the same noise we have heard before. New crew,
new sails, same ship, same journey.
Let It Come Down delivers a dose of the Spirtiualized sound for those with a
craving, but it's just a quick fix. In a year's time, when you get that
craving again, you'll still be reaching for your worn out copy of "Ladies
and Gentlemen."
--Benito Slounge
drmusico@yahoo.com
