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Today, we're culling the competition down to only eight winners. I think last year, during one of the rounds, I said that I would consider what was the very best singular moment or aspect of each song, and then compare that specific aspect for both songs to determine the winner. That worked well. Let's do that again today.
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What's great about "Ballad of Big Nothing" is that it starts off kinda quiet, and you're thinking that this is just another Elliott Smith whispery soft track ho hum, but then the drums kick in, and it turns into a pretty powerful mid-tempo jam. What's great about "Township Rebellion" is that no trickery is required. The best moment is when it drops into half-time from the cowbell-lead verses to the headbanging chorus. Throughout it all, the adrenaline doesn't let up. It starts at a 10, and by the time de la Rocha is yelling "Fuck the norm!" it remains right there at a 10.
WINNER: "Township Rebellion"
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I won't say that the spoken-word intro to "Clairaudients" is the "best aspect" of this song. Not even close. It is a phenomenal way to begin a classic album, as it sets the album's themes and tone, but in the context of this song alone, it's more of a drag. So what's the best part? I guess we can split the difference and say the lyrics in general. Oberst always keeps shit just on the right side of hokey. Is it enough to defeat "Mahgeetah"? Sure. There's a couple great moments when the whole band hits the same notes, as a bridge to a rollicking chorus. But overall, that moment couldn't save it.
WINNER: "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)"
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Brandon Flowers puts all the requisite gusto he can behind the constant refrain of "Help me get down / I can make it help me get down," but I love when everything drops off except him and the piano, very briefly, and everyone else comes back in with a nice healthy "WOOOOOOOAH!" Good stuff, Killers, good stuff. Honestly, the best part about "Honey Bunny" is those driving drums, the one that suddenly start the song. But shame on "Honey Bunny" for letting the drums get so sluggish for so long during the interlude.
WINNER: "Why Do I Keep Counting?"
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Strong lead vocals aren't a necessity, but they aren't really present in Kiwi jr. That's okay! I still like the singer. Still, this means that my favorite part of "Comeback Baby" is the fact that a bunch of other singers come in for the choruses, creating a nice little singalong. "Black Rain, Black Rain"'s strength comes from the opposite, a stark salvo set to acoustic guitar, so somber that it's surprising when the harmonica comes in briefly to sing its mournful tune.
WINNER: "Black Rain, Black Rain"
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There isn't one stand-out moment of "A Lingering Love," but I really like the groove and how it becomes an interesting blend of disco stomp and steel-guitar americana. You don't hear those sounds mixed too often. There is zero genre-hopping in "Knock Knock." They keep the pedal to the metal in pure garage rock fashion. I love how each chorus explodes, everything falls apart, and then the drums pick up the pieces. This is all I need.
WINNER: "Knock Knock"
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Something I never really noticed before was how the guitar is noodling over a lot of "Saturday Nite." It's a lot busier than I remembered! This is a good thing; it pairs really well with that head-nodding rhythm. I also didn't remember how intense the chorus gets in "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk." I can't really even explain why it seems more intense than the rest of the surrounding song. I think it has something to do with the guitars kicking into a higher gear. I don't know. I'm a drummer. Trapper wins.
WINNER: "Saturday Nite"
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I love the vocals on "Last Goodbye," how all the notes are held longer than you'd think they'd be, and it's constantly switching between tough and smooth. It's one foot on the ground, one foot in the clouds, and it really works. "Animal," instead, slinks and creeps toward a growling conclusion. Laura Jane Grace really leans into it at the end, going an octave higher for some of the notes, as the cymbals crash around her. Fuck, this is a tough one, folks. I guess I gotta play by the rules and go with "Animal," which has a better high point, even though it might not be a better song overall. I dunno.
WINNER: "Animal"
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Janet Weiss shows true finesse as "Combat Rock" barrels toward a spacey conclusion. She is the only one who can keep this shit together. It's fine. It's definitely not as fine as this year's true Cinderella Story, "Into the Earth." I always bitch about how Bloc Party lost something when they gave up Matt Tong, so it comes with an extra dose of irony that I'm choosing "Into the Earth" as the winner here—its chorus is so damn catchy, but imagine what it would be with a competent drummer like Weiss or Tong?
WINNER: "Into the Earth"
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SWEET SIXTEEN RESULTS
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We will get around to the Elite Eight eventually! But maybe not next week!
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