The Airborne Toxic Event
Songs of God and Whiskey
Epic Records (2015)
Sounds like: Violent Femmes, Bruce Springsteen, Built to Spill
Score: 7.5/10
After months of disagreements with their previous label, Island Records, The Airborne Toxic Event signed with a new label, Epic Records, and announced that they’d be releasing a new, more synth-driven record titled Dope Machines.
To fans of the band like me, who fell in love with their melody-driven and raw, honest lyrics, dating back to their stunning s/t album in 2007, the news wasn’t taken lightly. A day before releasing Dope Machines, though, the band announced through their website that they would also be releasing a companion album to Dope Machines, entitled Songs of God and Whiskey. A compilation of ten years worth of songwriting, both new and old. Ten tracks that were written and completed, but didn’t quite find their place in their three previous albums. Songs of God and Whiskey would only be available for free download on their website with the purchase of Dope Machines.
I have never been a fan of b-side albums. They always felt like a marketing gimmick, bands saying, “here’s some songs we don’t think are good enough for an album, but we still want you to pay for them.” I was surprised, upon listening to the album, that The Airborne Toxic Event managed to avoid that.
From its opener “Poor Isaac” you hear the honesty and emotion howling out of Jollett’s Leonard-Cohen-reminiscent voice. With a rhythm section channeling the Violent Femmes’ patented stripped-down drums; a style of drumming prevalent throughout the album, and a first for drummer Darren Taylor.
Biblical references are laden throughout the album, even on songs about time-tested subjects such as heart break, — “so I guess I thought that girl would redeem me from this world, Lord, I should’ve asked you instead” — a verse from the song third song, “A Certain Type of Girl.”
The entire album has a playful vibe not heard on Dope Machines. As if the band invited their close friends to their rehearsal space, opened a bottle of vodka and belted out song after song. “Cocaine and Abel,” a personal favorite, re-tells a night of trying cocaine for the first time. The rhythmic structure of the songs even feels like a coke trip; the happy chord patterns played on the intro and first verse lead to a climactic bridge, with a stellar trumpet solo, to a declining second verse, that makes the person in question start judging everything in life. It also includes my favorite verse on the album, “do you always quote Dostoevsky, or only when you snort a key?”
The first single released, “The Fall of Rome” happens to be the closing track on the album. A three minute acoustic ballad showcasing Jollet’s best strength, songs about heartbreak. The lyricism on this song harkens back memories of “The Graveyard Near the House” from their sophomore release, All At Once. Jollett never succumbs to tackiness of break-up songs, instead battling with the psychological effects of longing for what was once pure (“There are no rules when you’re falling in love. You just take what you get and you hope it’s enough.”)
The playful vibe of the album is also its one weakness. Songs such as “Strangers” and “Why, Why, Why?,” while fun to listen to, are passive at best. But even on songs that feel rushed, they are quotable lyrics and catchy hooks, placed throughout.
The wittiness and emotional, reflective, and literate lyricism is what made The Airborne Toxic Event stick out from the scurry of bands playing around the Silver Lake club scene in East LA during their formative years in 2005 though 2007. They outlasted their counterparts, bands like Radars to the Sky and The Deadly Syndrome. Since their major label transition, every album has felt too polished and radio-friendly. So hearing the rawness of Songs of God and Whiskey was refreshing. It overcomes the flaws of the album. By no means is it close to perfect, but even the less memorable songs are better than anything you’re hearing on radio today.
-Alan Madrigal
One Comment