In their debut album, An Incident at the Metropolis, the Los Angeles-based Tribeca, one of many bands that could claim their earliest roots to New York City and to New York University’s Film School attempt to continue a long tradition of jazz influenced pop music that stretches back to artists such as Bacharach, Sting’s efforts with his Blue Turtles, Ben Folds, the Dave Matthews Band, Steely Dan, and others. It seems rather implicit that as soon as a band claims some jazz influence in their sound that the listening public, as well as critics think of a couple of things – the first being an implied cool, sophisticated songwriting process (think of seventh chords, six or seven minute songs in which every player has a solo, etc.) and the second, depending on the listener’s aesthetic sense is a certain level of pretension and snootiness as it requires the musicians behind it to have some level of musical training that doesn’t come up in genres such as punk, reggae, rap, and reggaeton. And yet, admittedly jazz’s influence on music as a whole is obvious and overwhelming, as every genre and every form of modern music as we know it can trace some part of its roots back towards jazz and the blues. As it is, within the current musical landscape, bands and artists taking retrospective leaps backwards towards past developments is an increasing trend that can be interesting if a new interpretation towards past giants is presented and yet, it can be frustrating and tiresome – especially if it seems like an unoriginal rehashing of past concepts.
In the case of Tribeca, their debut album is extremely problematic because it accomplishes a rare feat – managing to be simultaneously sophisticated, inspired, frustrating, and downright uneven. Indeed, despite the musical talents of each of the members, the album is plagued by lyrics that are often stupid, and so awful that they’re laughable. A song such as “North American Laundromat,” with its extremely dated sounding backing vocals, its tremendous overuse of the wah wah pedal, and its annoying lyrics which inexplicably switch from the third person singular and plural (he, she, they) to the first person singular and plural (I, we, us) without rhyme or reason, manages to sound much like a bad Steely Dan cover band covering another Steely Dan cover band. Instead of being as subversive as Steely Dan could be at their highest moments, Tribeca manages to sound silly and trivial. “People Need to Know,” with its clanging singer-songwriter piano and guitar chords presents the standard pop music cliché with an earnest profundity that lacks any sense of irony or humor. “Start From Nothing,” which discusses a couple after a brutal fight could be that one song that has that underlying and profound tinge of the universal but is ruined by a stupid set of lyrics that would either cause you to laugh out loud or cringe. “2 Days After,” which discusses suicide and death is ruined by a cheesy-sounding scat section as a refrain, implausible lyrics, and an oddly detached tone that seems disturbing, considering the subject matter. English and Gaskins both have a very limited vocal range which seems to gravitate towards an oddly detached tone that desperately wants to be cool and profound, and an emo rock shout that sounds at times, whiney and obnoxious.
However, fellow reader and audiophile, the entire album isn’t a washout. “Monument Today,” is an aggressive Ben Folds sounding stomp with pounding piano chords and drum work by Gaskins, a smooth, bluesy guitar solo by Huberman which some of the clearest, prettiest sounding guitar chords I’ve heard in a while. And as the song fades out, a quick drum and cymbal sequence can be heard which might remind you of Police-era Sting. “Popular Summer,” is also another one of the rare highlights of the album. Starting off as Ben Folds sounding ballad – think of his biggest hit “Brick” – it displays moments of dreamy, disco inspired funk that first comes up momentarily within the chorus section, and then reappears for the bridge and conclusion. Wong’s bass playing here is perhaps the funkiest you’ll hear; English’s and Gaskins’ vocals are perhaps the most listenable and interesting, while the keyboards and guitar work of Huberman add a dreamy quality, emphasizing a very memorable refrain.
Listening to the album as a whole will prove to be a frustrating experience for even the most adventurous of audiophiles but the two best songs of the album seem to be where Tribeca is at their most focused, most original, and most captivating. As it is two songs don’t make much of an album – but what those two songs will hopefully reveal is a band developing an interesting sound that is uniquely sophisticated.
For more info see: tribecamusic.net
