Zack: This album didn’t make me feel as many emotions
as I expected. I read beforehand that most of the lyrics are just straight
poetry and that comparisons were drawn to the likes of Charles Bukowski, which
persuaded me to think that I was going to feel things somewhere deep down. But,
on a first listen anyway, I didn’t really feel much at all. It just came off as
pretty good, which certainly isn’t what Rolling Stone, the New York Times, the
Los Angeles Times and Village Voice had in mind when they named it the best
album of the year, I’m sure. I definitely want to relisten to it soon (I have a
long bus ride coming up in a few days that will likely provide the perfect
context) in hopes that maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention. One little
thing that did catch me off guard was how the album seemed to be such a mash-up
of punk and early alternative. Some songs would be those prototypical minute
and a half rushes, but others were slowed down and more…deliberate I guess. I
initially chalked that up to band progression, but apparently X actually became
more punk on their sophomore album. What other band pulls that off?
Favorite Tracks: It’s Who You Know; Adult Books; In This
House That I Call Home
Emily: It took me a bit to come up with what I wanted to write about Wild Gift. I enjoyed it, but I didn't take away much from it upon one listen. The sound bridged the gap a bit between punk and more mainstream rock, adding more guitar and subtracting the standard thrashing around. I thought the best tracks on the album were the ones that really strayed from the short, 3-chord, scream-sung expectations of punk music - not that I don't like that sound; as previous reviews indicate, I'm quite a punk fan. The longer songs, however, seemed fuller and more developed, with strong musicianship and even stronger vocals that often dueled between male and female. It seems, though, that the real creativity lies in the poetic lyrics. I couldn't pick up on that through just one listen, so I'll definitely have to give it at least one more chance.
Favorite Tracks: Adult Books; It's Who You Know; In This House That I Call Home
FYI this IS their sophomore album. I just happened on your blog from the J1111 blogroll. Looking forward to going through some of these. You guys didn't mention it in your review, so I will: this record was written while John and Exene were going through a divorce, if that helps establish a more interesting context for the lyrics. And I've always been curious as to how it won Pazz and Jop that year too, but it's one of my favorite records by one of my favorite bands of all time so I can't argue with it. If you ever want to revisit X, Under the Big Black Sun is probably their fullest realization of this early sound. And then move on to See How We Are where they go all in on classic Americana, ala the Replacements.
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