Timing is everything. To be both a member of a band that helped define our 90s conception of “indie” and also release a solo record around the time of said band's long overdue reunion announcement is, well, the utmost ideal in marketing. But we aren’t talking about just any band here -- we’re talking about Pavement and originator Scott Kannberg, a.k.a. Spiral Stairs (and formerly Preston School of Industry), who has been actively working on music since the band's breakup. With The Real Feel, 11 tracks of mostly hard-driving 70s-era radio rock ‘n’ roll and pop Americana balladry, this might be when he finally gets his due.
There are several points within The Real Feel where one can’t help but be reminded of the fervor of early Heartbreakers material. “True Love” is perhaps the most obvious example, reminiscent of Damn the Torpedoes, while “Maltese T” is a throwback tune in the vein of Petty’s debut album, full of naturally distorted guitars and “Breakdown” style sing-a-longs. Things get more aggressive though with “Stolen Pills,” which actually explores the territory of breaking down in an all-out assault of machine gun drums and rowdy Stooges raw-punk swagger. Frankly, I didn’t know Kannberg had it in him.
While one could see the ballads being snoozers in a live setting, they really come to life in this context. For example, “Wharf Hand Blues” drives a drum break with military-esque precision into the forefront of the mix, while sustained minor-chord progressions fill up the air. Kannberg sounds in tip-top shape on this track, letting his voice both relax and flex its muscles -- sure, there are certainly flaws in those pipes, but they only add to the charm. Meanwhile, “Blood Money” is a near 9-minute endurance test, but it's a gratifying one at that: blending slide-guitar and dry vocal melodies, this is Kannberg’s opus on the recording
The Real Feel’s only downfall is when it heads into white-man blues territory. “Subiaco Shuffle” has a promising psych-stomping intro, but falls into a kitschy rut, with that half-assed distorted microphone sound and a lackluster banjo riff that makes me want to smack every white man on Fat Possum records for somehow making this cool. The album also unfortunately features two filler tracks: one a trite reverse-effect preamble to a song that didn’t need prefacing ("The Real Feel"), and the other a completely inappropriate "introduction" to conclude the album ("Ladies and Gentleman").
Despite these minor missteps, The Real Feel is a solid step in the right direction, both sonically and lyrically. Anyone pulling out Pavement comparisons is missing the point: this is Spiral Stairs, and the farther you remove his music from Stephen Malkmus and the gang, the better.
1. True Love
2. Call the Ceasefire
3. Cold Change
4. Subiaco Shuffle
5. Wharf-Hand Blues
6. Maltese T
7. A Mighty Mighty Fall
8. Stolen Pills
9. The Real Feel
10. Blood Monkey
11. Ladies and Gentleman
More about: Spiral Stairs
