NYU art-heads Ravens & Chimes can't seem to outrun the easiest, laziest of comparisons: the Arcade Fire mentions, the more nonsensical likenings to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen (which can only be explained by the band's declared love for Dylan and Cohen on their MySpace profile). The references to the Fire are more predictable since Funeral producer Howard Bilerman manned the decks for their debut, Reichenbach Falls. Still, the comparisons are more the product of worked-up blogger frenzy than thoughtful consideration; R&C's lo-fi compositions tend to recall the insular moments of Fog or Menomena rather than the producer's more successful Montreal juggernauts.

It's strange, then, that I find myself reviewing "General Lafayette! You Are Not Alone," the only track on Reichenbach that carries a strong whiff of Arcade Fire's omnipresent discharge. The song initially struck me as the most focused and catchy of the bunch, though its familiarity now seems like the logical hook: "General Lafayette!" is essentially "Rebellion (Lies)" played at double time, complete with pulsing bass drum, rhythm piano, and everything else with which the Arcade Fire gilds their single, plodding chord ("General Lafayette!" uses three instead of one). Frontman Asher Lack's lyrics evoke the splashing waves and twinkling skyline of his hometown, and his more-than-able bandmates adorn his descriptions with carefully timed string flourishes and the occasional dramatic pause. "Are you sleeping all day long?" Lack queries, echoing "Rebellions"'s "Sleepin' is givin' in" mantra. The object of Lack's question finds himself entangled in the Lower Manhattan bustle, searching for a will and a reason. He crosses Lafayette St. and begins contemplating the famed Revolutionary War General of the same name. "Do you long for more?" our omniscient narrator asks. Shadows consume the sidewalks as twilight sets in. The song, which could have easily fallen into the hellish depths of unoriginality, finds new life in Lack's ability to imbue the mundane with a sense of drama. Ravens & Chimes won't turn the music world upside-down with Reichenbach Falls, but songs like "General Lafayette!" suggest that the band will produce enough gems to shake its Arcade-Fire-sound-a-like tag.

permanent link ::