Search - Roger Clyne & Peacemakers :: No More Beautiful World (W/Dvd) (Dig)

A delight for Refreshments and Peacemaker's fans alike.

J. T. Nite | Mesa, AZ USA | 03/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Roger Clyne and the Peacemaker's last album, "Americano," was an internet sales hit, made a sizable impact on Arizona radio, and doubled the size of the devoted converts who attend Peacemakers concerts around the country and his twice-annual Circus Meximus in Rocky Point, Mexico. Tunes like the title track, the country shuffle of "Love, Come Lighten My Load," and the heartbreaker "Leave an Open Door" made it the most consistent and tuneful album the band had made. It also made me wonder, though, how much further Clyne could go with the band -- would the sound get smoother and more corporate until he took over Jimmy Buffett's mantle, singing endless tunes about lying on the beach in Mexico? Would we ever hear loose, organic, snarky, Refreshments-esque rock from Clyne again?



Thankfully, "No More Beautiful World" moves the band's sound forward while also hearkening back to his Refreshments days. Overall, the sound is the most organic and loose of any of the recordings they've made thus far. The shifts in style and tone are subtler here than on other outings, and on the first listen the tunes may sound too similar to one another, but on repeated listenings the album unfolds considerable charms. Here's a quick track-by-track:



1. Hello New Day: The love-and-death themes of "Better Beautiful than Perfect" pop up again here. Roger's in fine voice and his lyrics are smart as ever. The real star, though (here and throughout) is Steve Larsen, whose guitar work finally feels as unfettered and unruly as it does live.



2. Bottom of the Bay: After the sonic explosion of the first track, this is a groovy little reggae tune, complete with static and ethereal feedback moaning in the background. A stylistic cousin to Americano's Leaky Little Boat, but more mysterious and mischievous. Co-written with Johnny Hickman of Cracker fame.



3. Maybe We Should Fall in Love: there's nothing new about falling in love, but the expansive, open acoustic guitar sound, the echoing drums and bass, the vocal harmonies, and Clyne's impassioned lead vocal make it all sound fresh.



4. Contraband: a groovy, understated shuffle about drug-runners and ne'er-do-wells, featuring witty lyrics and a bounce-along rhythm. Thematically, this makes me think of Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues -- you may not approve of shooting a man in Reno, just to watch him die, but the portrait is compelling all the same.



5. Goon Squad: Clyne goes political but keeps it subtle, with "new season, new reason, same old war" as specific as he gets. The counterpoint to his political despair is the ambiguous bridge, in which he repeats (in gorgeous harmony with Stevie and P.H.) "there is no more beautiful world," suggesting both meanings of the phrase while hinting that there's hope for us after all.



6. Wake-up Call: A charming, folksy take on Clyne's relaxing-on-the-beach theme -- he tells the story of a military unit sent to a Mexican resort town, issued "guitars and flip-flops" to go undercover. Naturally, the troop ends up AWOL and FUBAR. You'll have to check the lyrics sheet after listening to this one for the jokes that you've missed. Clyne eases up on the horns and samba rhythms, making the familiar theme sound fresh.



7. World Ain't Gone Crazy: This song wouldn't have been out of place on The Bottle and Fresh Horses -- it's fast-paced vocal patter, power chords and subtle harmonies would fit right in. The sound is so much fun that you'll only remember the lyrics to the chorus, but there's a lot of philosophy crammed into these three minutes.



8. Lemons: The production on this fun little rocker veers dangerously close to cheesy, but never quite crosses the line.



9. Noisy Head: A tight, relentless ode to paranoia and the reasons we should be paranoid. It's as quiet, tight, and tense as classic Violent Femmes, and Clyne's lyrics are better than ever: "The emperor in his new clothes / is playing with his dominoes / with puppet strings from head to toes / and an army of Pinnochios."



10. Andale: A call to action and the album's heaviest track, with Stevie's ominous guitar and P.H.'s wailing backing vocals urging the listener to get up and fight the good fight.



11. Plenty: P.H.'s persistent, unflagging, wrist-snapping, unmistakeable drumming grounds this sonically open, echoing, melodic track that might be the best on the album. With the overdubbed guitars, multiple harmonies, and the horn section busting in at the end, this is the most production Roger's put on a track yet, but it works and it soars.



12. Junebug in July: A witty, quick-tongued, jazzy little shuffle. Stevie kicks off the distortion peddle and plays some Stray Cats-ish be-bop. It's a trifle, but a tasty one.



13. Winter in Your Heart: Stevie and new bassist Nic trade off riffs in this catchy reggae-tinged tune about forgiveness and rebirth. Clyne's "lie/cry/fly" lyrics are a little cliche, but he's so darn sincere about it that you can't hold it against him.



14. Hourglass: If this doesn't make your eyes tear up a little, check your pulse. This is Clyne's heartfelt plea for more time to enjoy the beautiful world around him; he acknowledges the futility of asking but urgently repeats "turn the hourglass over." It's the kind of song that, while dealing with death, manages to celebrate life -- it'll make you want to call everyone you love and tell them so.



"

The best band on earth releases a Masterpiece album!!.

F. Mckelvey | Lucerne -Clear Lake,California.Best Bass fishing l | 03/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Buy this album.Its the kind of album that has such variety of songs, and clever twists on lyrics you never get enough, even with 14 songs!For the price of a single cd you get practically a double cd with a dvd and lyrics booklet with Huichol Indian type artwork. The album has a very upbeat happy go lucky feel to it.The song "Bottom of the bay"has sound effects added that create an underwater feel."Noisy Head" and "Hourglass" showcase Steve Larsons Hauntingly beautiful guitar playing. All of the members of the band shine on every song on this album.Even when you shut your cd player off these songs will still be playing in your head!This is a Masterpiece addition to a catalog of great albums.I could rattle on about every song,and not do them justice,you should buy the album and listen to one of the best bands in America,playing really great music.See them live if you get lucky enough!"

Different for hardcore Peacehead fans but still fun

R. Perez | Falls Church, VA United States | 03/27/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

""No More Beautiful World"(NMBW) is a GOOD album! I do not consider it the best album by the band or Roger Clyne himself. However, I must add that this album is probably gonna slowly grow on the hardcore fans that have enjoyed all of Clyne's works for 10 plus years. I'll stretch that out again, S-L-O-W-L-Y as oppose to their other albums. I say this probably because "No More Beautiful World" seems more like an album you'd listen to 'round a good BBQ or by poolside. Somethin' simple, not too over the top, but rather to just relax to. I admit at first the album was a bit dissapointing to me cause it lacked some more rock gems where Clyne would belt out lyrics in an almost scream like fashion like those found on "Mile High 'n Risin'" to "I Don't Need Another Thrill" but NMBW's feel can be chill to that of some Jimmy Buffett type influence and some interestin' Reggae ties. Also, I miss the drinkin' tunes that Clyne would tell by story like that of "Jack vs. Jose" to "Mekong". Overall, a different feel from what I'm use to by the band. Standout tracks are "Lemons", "Andale", "Maybe We Should Fall In Love", & "Wake Up Call". It's hard for me to get into other tracks so far like "Junebug in July"(least fav thus far) and "Hourglass". But who knows it may eventually grow on me. Again, it might be tough for older fans to accept but for new fans this could easily be an awesome album. But non-the-less, it's damn good to have a new album by these guys.



On a side note: When you purchase the cd you also get an 80 minute DVD and it's totally worth it! After watching the dvd that came with the cd a couple of times, I found that with several more listens to the album(after one week since the album's release) I admit that more and more I am gettin' into the album and appreciatin' it. Bassist-Nick Scropos really shines bright with his bass lines on "Bottom of the Bay" and they are damn groovy! My point is this album WILL grow and become a part of you the more and more you listen to it... On the tune "Plenty" its intro sounds almost Tom Pettyish to me, makin' it feel good to like even more. The live version of "Hourglass" on the dvd already looks/sounds bad arse compared to the cd version. So that's a plus! and does anybody else feel the same way about the ending jam session on "Hello New Day" feckin' rocks!!!!! Wish they added more jammin' to the end of that tune or they could of tied it into the next track on the disc. Without a doubt, NMBW should be part of your collection for any new or old Refreshments/Peacemakers fan...salud!

"