And so it goes, the five-year interval between their previous two albums was the ominous sign we all thought it might be: The Books have assumed the responsibilities of the firemen from Fahrenheit 451 and decided to formally set ablaze any possibility of future work. As if Nick Zammuto recently announcing a new album sans Paul de Jong wasn’t enough of an indication, he also makes things undeniably clear in an interview with Pitchfork: “It seems the air has gone out of the Books for the last time,” wrote Zammuto in an email. “It’s been an extraordinarily painful year coming to the realization that there was no way forward for the band. I love the Books and all that it became, and it still feels strange to me that such an odd little project moved people like it did.”
For those interested in the reason(s) for their not-so-sudden dissolution, Zammuto implicitly advises that you mosey on over to TMZ.com if you want that sort of celebrity gossip: “Right now, going into the details of it does not serve anyone, and I’m still too close to it to talk about it without getting angry. It’s best for it to remain a mystery for a while. I doubt we will work together again, and unfortunately it almost certainly means we will retire the name after these last releases are out.” Well, I can’t help but feel a bit curious about it now.
Those releases that Zammuto refers to include “a couple LPs worth of B-sides and soundtracks, a box set with the four [Books] records, and an updated DVD later this year.” RIP. Er, yeah. You know what I mean.
• The Books: http://www.thebooksmusic.com
• Temporary Residence: http://temporaryresidence.com
