| In the self-concious sphere of collegiate rock, the acknowledged king of sef-torture is Mark Eitzel, the singer and songwriter who leads American Music Club, a band from San Francisco.On Wednesday night,in a concert that was part of the CMJ Music Marathon, Mr Eitzel apologized for his performance, saying he'd had a drink and had been "trying not to drink all day." But the apology was unnecessary; Mr Eitzel's melodic groan of a voice and his painfully articulate lyris were in fine shape. His songs are a testimony of a character who can barely make it through the routines of daily life. One, from the band's album "Everclear" announces,"I'm sick of food." Another says,"All I want out of life is to hide somewhere." Mr Eitzel sang about loneliness - "I've been a mess since you've been gone" - and the possibily of a new romance: "She'll make it real easy for you/All you have to do is remember your name." A song called "Gratitude Walks" seemed to allude to Mr Eitzel's reputation in previous years as a self-destructive performer scowling over "applause that gets louder the lower you sink." Mr Eitzel writes full-fledged melodies and sings them in a baritone that could almost be a croon. Despite the ballad tempos, though,American Music Club has created a sonic universe that defies the comforts of pop. Floating,echoing guitar chords and pedal steel guitar notes leave his voice unmoored; in many songs, the bass lines collide in dissonances with the guitar. The music gathers weight as Mr Eitzel's singing grows more anguished, sometimes crashing in a tumult worthy of The Who, then dissipates before the song ends, plunging the singer back in to his troubles without a resolution. Describing chronic despair instead of trying to tidy it up, the songs are misery's silver lining. Reviewed by John Pareles for The New York Times November 2nd 1992 Return To homepage Here |
| American Music Club The Marquee,NYC October 28th 1992 |