Spring gems: Mudcrutch for Cutie

I’ve haven’t fully digested Rising Down from The Roots, but this pair has quickly turned into my favorites of the past month.

What Crutch?

Seriously, Tom Petty fans, if you haven’t already grabbed the debut album of his first band, Mudcrutch, go now.

If you always wished Petty indulged in country rock a la the Flying Burrito Brothers, you should have already listened to it six times.

This country-tinged effort is the best thing Tom and company have turned out in years. With Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench along for the ride, I feared this could be a Petty record under another name. but with guitarist Tom Leadon and drummer Randall Marsh in the fold, Mudcrutch feels like a fully-formed country rock outfit.

The traditional “Shady Grove” opens the record with a blast of sparse bluegrass and an unexpected urgency running beneath Petty’s laidback vocals. Its successor, “Scare Easy,” could be one of my favorite Petty tracks ever, ambling along with a swampy beat and incisive lyrics.
I almost wish I bought this on vinyl instead of digitally, since Mudcrutch turned out an album, not a collection of songs that never came together in 1973. There’s not a clunker or hackneyed riff on this one – maybe Petty should stick to the bass more often.

Just listening to “Scare Easy” and the nine-minute “Crystal River” makes me realize Petty’s best might still ahead – even if it means peering into his distant past.

Death Cab’s Redemption

Sometimes I give a band second chance – hell, I’ve given the Foo Fighters four of them.

But Death Cab for Cutie delivered after a major label misstep that sold a million copies

With Narrow Stairs, Ben Gibbard and crew effectively helped me forget the limp-wristed effort called Plans. Outside of “Crooked Teeth,” I wasted $10 on that album.

This might be one of the bleakest major label efforts since In Utero. DCFC sound nothing like Nirvana, but every track rings with a hopelessness unparalleled in indie rock.

Opener “Bixby Canyon Bridge” could be an open letter to Jack Kerouac, and makes me want to revisit Big Sur, the tragic drunken monologue of Kerouac’s last days. It hits hard, and is a sign of songs to come.

“I Will Possess Your Heart” is catchy but cannot escape the creepiness of a guy who wants to girl to see his way no matter what. But the catchy song gets swept away by the sweet melodies of those that follow. The titles alone signal a bleak ride ahead – “No Sunlight,” “You Can Do Better Than Me” and “Your New Twin-Sized Bed” don’t brim with happiness, despite their frantic melodies.

It might be a frequent rock metaphor, but “The Ice is Getting Thinner” maintains its effectiveness through the sparse instruments and Gibbard’s weighty lyrics.

In an interview with Ben Gibbard, I finally understand why Plans flopped so badly for me –Death Cab deviated from its usual habit of recording live in the studio, resulting in the songs sometimes feeling stitched together.

By comparison, the instrumentation of Narrow Stairs feels organic and comfortable.

While DCFC might not return to such great heights as We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes or its breakthrough, Transatlanticism, it washes away the detritus of its major label debut - even in the shallow waters of Bixby Canyon.