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Autolux - Transit Transit

Andrew Vice | Plano, TX | 08/04/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is inevitable that after six years of waiting, expectations would be high for the follow-up to an album as brilliant and affecting as Future Perfect. The reality is that expectations are probably too high, which may have played a part in the massive delay on Transit Transit, which by all accounts was finished and in the can as early as 2008. If we go into this record thinking "This is the result of six years of work on distilling the sound that made Future Perfect genius," we're going to be disappointed. Transit Transit, more than its predecessor, is a pop album, much in the vein of the recent pop renaissance that has found bands from every genre of music infusing more pop into their work. Where Future Perfect was a true space rock gem, Transit Transit is less adventurous, more hook laden, and a little bit slowed by comparison, attributes that at times help and at other times hinder the overall appeal of the record. Transit Transit is signature Autolux and you would be unlikely to mistake it for the work of any other band, with all of the distinctive tones and textures in place, even if they have been applied in different ways. "Audience No. 2" is one of the few tracks to recall the heady rush of Future Perfect tracks like Subzero Fun, where most of the other songs on this record opt for a slow-burning build over a headlong rush into oblivion. This is not a record that is going to bring in new fans unless TBD really get their act together in promoting this thing, but it's a very good record and sure to please long, longtime fans of the band. Lets hope they don't take 6 years for the next one."

Yes, autolux does it again

Dave Mackler | Bronx, NY, US | 08/09/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Consider this a preemptive strike against the inevitable backlash of the usual complaints: they've been working on this for six years (not the case. They spent much of that time deciding how to release the album), it doesn't sound exactly like Future Perfect. While the second may hold some accuracy, it ignores the exciting leaps forward that Autolux have taken with their sound.



What's new is a significant amount of sparse moments, space unfilled, perhaps you could call it a greater "Radiohead-esqueness," through the use of piano and electronic beats. If the entire album sounded like this, I could understand the complaints, but there are plenty of moments of the old noisy rock-out Autolux as well.



Perhaps the new elements stand out so much, they are off-putting to listeners that wanted Future Perfect part 2. Give these tracks a chance and they will end up being highlights. SPOTS is a haunting, beautiful song, and an incredible improvement on the melancholy of GREAT DAYS FOR THE PASSENGER ELEMENT. THE BOUNCING WALL is a great nod to `60s flavored psychedelic pop. Fans of the British band Broadcast will take note. HIGHCHAIR is built around a hypnotic beat that comprises of electronic and live percussion.



Meanwhile, Autolux continues to combine perfect pop catchiness and propulsive interstellar rock on songs like CENSUS, SUPERTOYS and KISSPROOF. There are wonderful touches, like the spacey effects that come in towards the end of CENSUS and the toy piano that rings out in this midst of the dirge-heavy HEADLESS SKY. The album's beautifully swirling closer, THE SCIENCE OF IMAGINARY SOLUTIONS, is punctuated by jarring blasts of noise at the minute and a half mark, and then it lifts upwards carrying the listener out on a more skyward note than on Future Perfect.



A track by track comparison of two such remarkable albums seems irrelevant, but it is worth noting that everything on Transit Transit is more interesting than ROBOTS IN THE GARDEN and ASLEEP AT THE TRIGGER from the first album. Every new track is multifaceted and is masterfully crafted from a range of ideas.



So, put aside what you were expecting to hear, and embrace this exciting step forward by one of the most interesting bands out there.

"

A perfect evolution of the previous album

Alto Eager | California | 08/14/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Autolux formed in 2000, featuring former members of Failure and Ednaswap. In 2004, their debut full-length album Future Perfect was released. Interestingly, they took alternative musical elements that had existed for years (namely, the distorted bass and droning guitar lines from My Bloody Valentine) and mixed them with the punk, lo-fi edge of, say, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, making something completely new. The trio, comprised of Greg Edwards (guitar, vocals), Eugene Goreshter (vocals, bass) and Carla Azar (drums, vocals) figured out how to bring the noise rock styles of the late 80's/early 90's into a modern context, while keeping pop sensibilities- a perfect combination, it turns out, as the debut album is incredibly crafted in both production and ideas. With such an incredibly strong musical start, what would the future show?



Well, for close to six years, nothing.



To be fair, Autolux never went away. They toured constantly over the years after the release of Future Perfect, and the fortunate who saw them perform live even got a hint of some songs that would end up on the new album. For fans, though, the new album needed to top the previous effort. Every year that went by seemed to intensify this feeling- according to the band, while the majority of the album was finished, the business end of things delayed the album's release for years. But, finally, Transit Transit is here, as promised. (Much) better late than never.



All I can say about the music is that it better be this good after six years of waiting. All of the ingredients of the previous album are here, but added to the pot are guitar loops, synthesizers, piano, and drum machines (featured on "Highchair"). Some bits of songs seem to borrow more from the "Wincing"-era Shins than The Stone Roses, but at the same time, it all sounds like Autolux. They certainly know how to keep things interesting.



The vocal duties, in the past, were largely handled by Goreshter, with occasional background and lead vocals by Azar and Edwards. With the new album, at least half of the tracks see lead vocal duties performed by the latter two. Azar already proved herself on the previous album ("Sugarless", "Asleep At The Trigger"), and she doesn't disappoint here. She lends her pipes to new songs "Supertoys", "The Bouncing Wall", and "The Science Of Imaginary Solutions", often incorporating multi-layered harmonies. The two piano ballads (yes, piano ballads) are fronted by Edwards (the title track and "Spots"). Before I scare any fans with the mention of piano songs, it must be said that these two songs compliment the others perfectly, while pacing the album well as a whole.



I have heard complaints about Transit Transit regarding the songs lacking the energy of the first album. I do not agree with this; this album is an evolution of the debut, meaning the song writing and production have improved (or at least matured), so yes, there will be slower songs. However, the album does not lack energy. Fans of older songs like "Turnstile Blues" and "Here Comes Everybody" will enjoy "Census", "Supertoys", "Audience No. 2", and "Kissproof" the most. However, fans of the band themselves (or those who don't get upset when bands they like change their sound a *little* bit) will love the whole album, guaranteed, and shouldn't hesitate to purchase it.



I really like the path that Autolux have chosen, and can't wait for new material (hopefully we won't have to wait another six years!). A third album will give Transit Transit more context, I believe, as far as the band's evolution goes, and may help to understand it further. Alone, however, it is still a superb album. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars."