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Pagoda
Pagoda
(Ecstatic Peace)
First Appeared in The Music Box, February 2007, Volume 14, #2
Written by John Metzger
There certainly are drawbacks to artist-run labels. Often
the creative freedom that initially separates them from the major players in the
music business has an immense tradeoff, and left unchecked, it inevitably can
lead to rampant, experimental pretentiousness. The other issue these sorts of
operations typically face is that their owners tend to build their empires
around bands that sound too much alike. Of course, there are exceptions, both
large and small, to every rule. Take Pagoda, the latest outfit to sign with
Ecstatic Peace, the company headed by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, for example.
While the similarities to Sonic Youth’s canon are unmistakable, Pagoda’s
self-titled debut is more than just another slab of idol-worship. Even so, the collection
still exhibits its share of problems, largely because
the blend of Sonic Youth and Nirvana that Pagoda has to offer inevitably sounds
tamer than it should.
Although jolts of electric guitar feedback
alternate with the jagged, slicing stabs of a violin to construct an unnerving,
angst-filled ambience, the fuzzy, noise-filled experimentation that cycles
through Pagoda's eponymous endeavor largely provides color. Likewise, the melodies
not only are immediately apparent, but they also rise and fall in a dynamic
fashion that closely echoes the forceful drama of Kurt Cobain’s compositions. At
its best, Pagoda pens smartly conceived songs that comment upon the state of the
world. Amego, for example, humorously tackles issues of immigration and
terrorism, while Fetus is a harrowing tale of abortion and drug abuse.
Nevertheless, it’s impossible to shake the notion that Pagoda is infatuated with
Sonic Youth’s Dirty. This isn’t a bad place to start, but 15 years after
the fact, it’s hardly groundbreaking. 
Pagoda is available from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
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