Joan Of Arc How Memory Works CD

Joan Of Arc: Tim Kinsella, Jermy Boyle, Todd Mattei.
How Memory Works, Joan of Arc's second album, displays perhaps the most creative use of electronics and composition within a rock framework since Analogue's stunning 1996 opus AAD. Like AAD, How Memory Works is woven together by bits of analog synth noise and short songs that never overstay their welcome. The band makes an emotional impact with varying speed. The faster songs bristle with a romantic, smile-inducing urgency, especially "This Life Cumulative," with its insistent beat, repeated major-key riffs, and quizzical lyrics. Tim Kinsella's vocals in "A Name" ebb and flow with stop-start rhythms, morphing into an awesome twin-guitar duel midsong. In the new wave-meets-prog "God Bless America," his brittle intonations crack under the strain of the song's clenched-fist chorus. Gastr del Sol is a logical comparison for plaintive tracks such as "To've Had Two Of," with its acoustic guitar-and-vocal intro and gradual introduction of a cello and human voices. And while Kinsella's nonsensical lyrics and unpredictable pitch at times detract from the music's effectiveness, his performance on album closer "A Party Able Model Of" may unpredictably find the listener with moist eyes. ~ Jonathan Cohen
Joan of Arc's second album, 1998's How Memory Works, bridges emo-punk and post-rock in a more original and fully realized way than their debut, A Portable Model Of. Musically, How Memory Works boasts some interesting arrangements, from the electronic/electric clash of "This Life Cumulative" to the droning guitars and noise bursts on "A Pale Orange." Tracks like "Gin & Platonic" and "White Out" feature just enough pop structure and melody to make them accessible as well as ambitious, and the band borrows some of Gastr del Sol's acoustic prettiness for "To've Had Two Of." But unfortunate song titles like the previous one, belabored, rambling lyrics, and Tim Kinsella's marginally listenable singing weigh down the interesting ideas Joan of Arc suggests. How Memory Works works best when the band remembers to write a song as well as experiment. ~ Heather Phares

2nd Rel