XMMER
Artist: His Name Is Alive
Label: 4AD Records
Length: 12 tracks/ 38 minutes

The latest His Name Is Alive release carries on the the torch of last year's excellent comeback album, Detrola.  Andy FM returns for vocal duties, and main man Warren Defever keeps the lyrics and musical style in the same vein - dark romantic elegies set to bluesy indie-rock songs with twists of experimentation and electronics.  This time around, Warren has stripped much of his sound back, placing focus on tribalistic percussion and layered, hazy vocals, with new themes of war and dying throughout.

The opening track is both difficult and chilling.  Andy's vocals are mutlilayered and deeply placed in the mix, set amongst roughened sound effects of cymbals and strings that sounds like an orchestra tuning before a performance.  The lyrics are of a family fleeing from soldiers that have broken into their home, and though it may not be too striking while listening, they may leave you a bit shaken after reflection - it's the first of several songs that may have the same effect.

Splashy noises and bare acoustic strumming open the following song and the album's first single, "Go To Hell Mountain," which is a direct sequel to the song "Moma Don't You Think I Know" off of Detrola.  Not as memorable and the first of numerous dips and turns in the album's flow and quality, it's direct correlation to a song from last year is its most interesting aspect.

The same problem emerges in many songs.  Though certainly an interesting and creative idea, too much emphasis is placed on the percussive sounds of XMMER, when they simply aren't strong enough to hold the album's weight.  Possibly the best example of this is "The Wolf Put Its Mouth on Me," which relies on repetitive, tiring percussion for the entire song's length.  Other tracks simply aren't special at all - the song "Put It In Your Mind" and the two short interlude tracks "Oh Miss Flower" and "Intra Ultra" have nothing distinguishable about them.  The vocals throughout are also no longer stark and intimate, instead buried in multilayering and fuzz, making the lyrics often frustrating to make out.

There are still several tracks worth saving, however.  "What Color Was the Blood" features a dominating, militant drum beat and is one of the essential tracks on the album.  The sparse, eastern flavored "How Dark Is Your Dark Side" is the first stand-out after a couple less-memorable early songs.  And the closing track, "Come to Me," is a brilliant mixture of everything XMMER tries new: wonderful percussion, blaring horns, dream-like acoustic guitars, and backing vocals with an african-folk feel.  It's the strongest single here, and makes you wish that the rest of XMMER shared its excellence.

His Name Is Alive sounds normal on XMMER.  The only true highlight track of the album is the very last song.  I'd encourage the listener to go and download "Come to Me" - it's that good.  But the rest of the album is behind in quality by comparison.  A difficult, disappointing sequel to one of the best albums from last year.

Jonathan Avants 11/14/07