Quasi Sword Of God CD

Quasi: Sam Coomes (vocals, various instruments); Janet Weiss (drums).
Additional personnel: Stanley Zappa (saxophone).
Includes liner notes by Sam Coomes.
Liner Note Author: Sam Coomes.
Photographer: John Clark .
Quasi, the duo comprised of Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss and Elliott Smith bassist Sam Coomes, returns after a lengthy absence with their fifth outing overall, and their Touch & Go debut. After such a lengthy break, Quasi reveal how much they've grown as a collective. Make no mistake, The Sword of God is as zany -- or more so -- than any of the band's previous efforts. Weiss has become a stomping drummer, a poignant, ironically comedic lyricist, and a smart-assed vocalist, and Coomes has become a smoking guitar player and a proficient if not deft keyboardist, with a penchant for wiseacre humor that picks out the detritus of pop culture and lampoons it to death, as on "Fuck Hollywood" or "Rock & Roll Can Never Die." That's not to say there isn't any "serious" music on The Sword of God, because the darkness-obsessed tracks are here too, such as "It's Raining," "From a Hole in the Ground," and the supremely melancholy "Introduction." There's even a cinematically atmospheric feel to many of the tunes, as sound effects are readily employed for nuance and texture. It's just that, even on the darker emotional landscapes, Quasi has this remarkable tendency to keep the music upbeat and swinging. The only outside appearance here is in the form of a saxophone solo on the album's final track by Stanley Zappa. Quasi is a rock band without a mission and, as such, they make music that is texturally fascinating and intellectually stimulating -- because of their (often crass) humor and their absolute knowledge of rock and pop clichés from the '60s to the present. This may not be their best offering, but it's a truly fine record that offers plenty in the way of satisfaction. ~ Thom Jurek
On the fourth album by postmodern popsters Quasi, the duo of Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss and keyboardist/maestro Sam Coomes moves further away from its indie-rock roots towards a realization of a pure pop aesthetic (albeit a slightly twisted one). Thoug Coomes's keyboards are often distorted and his singing often colored by alt-rock urgency, the songs' harmonic and melodic development seem rooted in nothing so much as late-period Beatles. For her part, Weiss keeps Coomes's lofty ambitions grounded in rock-solid rhythm, dressed up by the occasional fillip. Despite a spell as Elliott Smith's touring band, Quasi is more likely to be embraced by the underground than the pop mainstream, which means that Coomes's potential status as the indie-rock Todd Rundgren will be limited to the cognoscenti who are hip enough to purchase THE SWORD OF GOD.

5th Rel

Spin (10/01, p.134) - 7 out of 10 - "...Beatles flourishes and glam keyboard pop that suggests Elton John sans feathered headwear..."
Q (Summer/01, p.108) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...The world's a better place. Especially as they channel their wry gripes against rich kids or celebrity into such cheery tunes..."
Uncut (9/01, p.98) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "...There is something distinctly unhinged about THE SWORD OF GOD....Entertaining..."
Magnet (9-10/01, p.107) - "...A wonderful album..."
CMJ (8/13/01, p.10) - "...Sticks tight to indie-pop...but it rollercoasters through every emotion, capturing them all confidently."
Mojo (Publisher) (12/01, p.116) - "...This is the true humanity at music's core..."
NME (Magazine) (8/18/01, p.47) - 7 out of 10 - "...A must for all Magnetic Fields fans....they represent the acme of counter-cultural cool....proper, semi-ironic pop music..."