I’m a huge fan of Cap’n Jazz, a former band of American Football singer Mike Kinsella. Cap’n Jazz were pioneers of post-hardcore, and turned it into the emotional, screamy, angry genre that we know today. Because of the inclusion of Kinsella in American Football, I expected more of the same. I was geared up to hear some pure, uncut, teen angst, delivered in the form of screams, sloppy melodies, and low quality recordings. Naturally, I was surprised (and a little disappointed) to hear some tight instrumentation and comparatively calmer vocals. I have to assess this album on its own, and completely forget the masterpiece that is Cap’n Jazz’s Analphabetapolothology while doing so.
Honestly, I was bored throughout the duration of American Football. This album would have failed to hold my interest even if I had never heard of Cap’n Jazz before. The songs all seem to go on forever, with fairly uninteresting guitars in the background. The intricate drum beats do help many of the songs out a bit, but never enough for me to really enjoy what I am listening to. Maybe I need to listen to the lyrics a little more closely. I’ve gathered that the album is mainly about all of your friends leaving for college, so the lyrics should apply to me. Lyrics alone aren’t enough to hold an album up, though. You can have the strongest words in the world lined up, but with boring, repetitive instrumentation behind them, they’re just going to fall flat.
Lot’s of people claim that they didn’t like American Football on their first listen either, but it became one of their favorite albums ever. Who knows, that could happen to me. I plan on giving it another chance, but I don’t think I could ever see this as a favorite album.
“That’s life, a so-so show.”
-American Football – Stay Home
Swole Ear 