And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)

So do they have the longest band name ever? Well, a little investigation throws up some interesting results. The longest I could find was a band called 'When People Were Shorter And Lived Near The Water'. Pity then that James Joyce never got round to forming his own beat combo. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead come from Austin, Texas and are based around the core of multi-instrumentalists Jason Reece and Conrad Keely. The duo share vocals, drumming and the protean guitar work that so impresses throughout the album. Hanging in the background delivering their own creative impulses are Kevin Allen on guitars and Neil Busch on bass.

This is AYWKUBTTOD's third album and the progression from the sometimes impressive but ultimately disappointing 'Madonna' (1999) couldn't be more marked. That album had perfectly formed pieces like 'Mistakes & Regrets' and 'Mark David Chapman' but lacked an overall consistency. 'Source Tags & Codes' on the other hand hardly falters over its 48 minutes even if the ride proves a little bruising for the listener at times. Much was made of the bands move from independent label Merge to major Interscope. Thankfully the lure of easy money hasn't led to comprise. You still need to look beyond the surface drama to locate the hooks and deep melody on many of the tracks. The lyrics are insightful and intelligent, but not always that discernible on record (check the inlay card) due to their oft impassioned delivery.

'Source Tags & Codes' certainly takes its time to sink in. To the untrained ear it can come across as generally unruly with a sprinkling of coherent tunes. While it certainly takes pointers from the past it boasts enough original ingredients to steer it clear from the flock of retro releases. The general refusal to stick to the blueprint means that 'Source Tags & Codes' is unlikely to garner mass appeal, which is a shame because a patient ear will find much to saviour. The album flows smoothly from song to song without the need to bore us with that tired old trick of fade out, pause and ignition. Instead the tracks are seamlessly upholstered together to the point where it is often difficult to pinpoint where one ends and another begins without referral to the track counter.

Like the morning of an almighty storm 'Innovation', the album's opening track, faintly drifts by. Ably turning piano keys into an excuse for opening a bottle of wine the song gives no indication of the aural tornado that lies ahead. Disturbing the serenity like a gunshot through your Chardonnay 'It Was There That I Saw You' is a measured attempt at greatness. Imagine a speaking Mogwai or a vivacious My Bloody Valentine with strangled vocals struggling under 10 feet of trodden down earthy guitars. It careers out of control on several occasions but applies the brakes before there are any fatalities. 'Another Morning Stance' peers into the Sonic Youth goodie bag, plunders some rich ideas and then throws a ramshackle beat around chords filled with brio. 'Why Is The Song The World For Me' pleads Reece as his vocal chords walk a tightrope that is about to snap. 'Boudelaire' is even more raw, the percussion flies by the seat of its pants while the choking chords espouse lo-fi tendencies. It all slows down to a MLK (U2) finale that is wrestled aside by the metal fatigue of 'Homage'. Apart from a divine square of guitar treacle that spins a rotund riff there is a chance you could lose friends if you play it too often.

As if by magic 'How Near How Far' restores order t through a combination of pummelling drumming, clean guitar sweeps and a faintly Idlewildesque approach to bending the human voice to sound like you've woken from a bourbon induced coma. As this stage the momentum is near unstoppable. It's as if the bands unique eccentricities have been satisfied and the urge to paint exciting new highs on the alternative map has become overwhelming. The asides that culture the introductions to most of the albums opuses are as offbeat as a ruined crop of sugar. The entree leading up to 'Days Of Being Wild' will have alien observers rubbing their hands in glee only to be blown through their soundproof observation decks as Neil Busch and an ebullient set of guitars march onwards. The whole thing turns sweet midsection as if to reign in cowardly listeners.

Events start to turn nasty as 'Life Is Elsewhere' sounds like a scrappy descent into the insides of a disused factory. As you bite your lip with the disappointment of it all, 'Heart In The Hand Of The Matter' comes forth delivering the goods in pristine mechanical horse drawn carriages. Packed with nifty chords, powerful vocal sprays and a chorus that surfs gracefully over a scene stealing flotilla of instruments it's enough to make you want to grow your hair long. As the vocals veer towards pleasant, 'Monsoon' reigns over an ever shifting landscape. There is no pattern, just a myriad of ideas that complement each other to form a presence through a menagerie of sounds. The post-rock encore is as frightening as it is revolutionary. 'Relative Ways' beams like a guiding light through a dense blanket of fog. As straightforward as a maze it bolts like a jackrabbit from a sealed box. The guitars have an elegant trippy edge, the rhythm takes the speed bumps with ease and the soft centre makes your hiccup with delight when Jason Reece swoons 'It's o.k. I'm a saint, I forgave your mistakes'. Not only is it one of songs of 2002 but it gives 'Source Tags & Codes' the top hat and tails it needs to be 100% suitable. Hopelessly wonderful and undeniably essential.

Following in the vapour trail 'After The Laughter' provides the necessary chill factor to flatten those excited goosebumps. The Mary Margaret Ragan composition 'Someday You'll Want Me To Want You' from 1949 sits in the foreground sounding creepy. Being only 60 seconds long 'After The Laughter' successfully clears the palate for the heartfelt title/closing track. As laidback as the LP gets it somehow recalls the greatness that has gone before but the restraint with which the lines are delivered at is delightful. As the curtains go down a mini orchestra ushers the final few heartbeats from the grand experience.

Source Tags and Codes is essentially an album in 3 parts. The first section is a joyous representation of the bands ability to sound commercial while still abiding by their own scuzzy tenants. The middle gets decidedly uneven, perforating eardrums in the nicest possible way with a firm background cohesion holding the whole thing together. The final section paradoxically forms the centrepiece from where the album goes supernova. The melody comes to the fore and while the instrumentation retains a cavalier swagger the vocals become decidedly sang-froid. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead may have failed to capture the prize for the most long winded moniker but with a great deal of invention they've progressed from promising upstarts to genuine contenders. It is entirely possible that they can attract those enamoured by the Strokes, The White Stripes and The Hives. If not, you will probably know them by the trail of the well read.

Rating: 8/10



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