Published on Nov 18, 2001
The secret of life is finding your best grooves and jumping in
and out of them often enough not to get too bored or
self-absorbed.
Okay, it’s just a theory, but it certainly came to mind when I
was setting out to write my first review for “The Daily Vault” in
almost a year. It came to mind because I’ve been out of this groove
for awhile, and it feels good to get back in, and because I wasn’t
about to take the plunge for anything less worthy than Train’s
just-about-magnificent
Drops Of Jupiter.
The first thing the sophomore album from this quintet had to do
was conquer one my pet peeves — the way radio takes a “hot” single
and flogs the carcass so unmercifully that even the glue factory
eventually says no thanks. Such, I fear, is the eventual fate of
this album’s title tune, and it’s a damned shame, because it’s a
remarkable song. A steady building piano ballad with a witty,
full-bodied string arrangement, the elements that take it to the
next level are a brilliant lyric (actually, a poem imaginative and
ambiguous enough to be called “lyrical”) and a chorus roughly as
catchy as the Hong Kong flu.
Of course, one great single and ten tracks of filler will still
get you a “D” from this reviewer. But it turns out “Drops Of
Jupiter” is just one of a number of very strong tracks on this
thoroughly engaging album. “I Wish I Would,” in addition to another
clever lyric and strong arrangement featuring mandolin and
harmonica, tosses in a “doo-doo-doot-doo-doo” chant near the finish
that’s every bit as infectious as the title track’s
“Na-na-na-na-etc.”
There are a handful of fairly straight-ahead rockers here (the
leadoff “She’s On Fire” and “Respect” comes to mind), but even they
have clever elements like the chunka-chunka electric rhythm guitar
of the former and the furious acoustic-strum rhythm guitar of the
latter. Terrific harmonies abound, propelled by Pat Monahan’s
urgent lead vocals, with background vox from bassist Charlie Colin
and guitarists Rob Hotchkiss and Jimmy Stafford. Drummer Scott
Underwood doubles on keyboards alongside the band’s producer, Pearl
Jam maestro Brendan O’Brien.
Under O’Brien’s sonic guidance, Train explodes its acoustic
roots-rock template with a wide range of styles on this disc, from
the almost trip-hop rhythm of the hypnotic “It’s About You,” to the
dreamy jazz intro of the countryish ballad “Let It Roll,” to the
heavy electric crunch of “Whipping Boy.” In terms of musical
shorthand, it would be accurate — though unnecessarily limiting —
to compare Train’s sound to bands like the Crow(e)s, Counting and
Black. It’s music that respects venerated rock and roll forms while
infusing them with fresh passion and invention.
And that’s the real secret to this album. In stark contrast to
the pre-packaged attitude flooding out of your radio these days,
Train has genuine range, and invests real emotion in these songs.
They’ve found their groove, and they’re mining it like
champions.