Music: Rites of Passage (Indigo Girls)

Album Review #1: Rites of Passage Indigo Girls

Review Notes: when listening to music in general, I pay attention to the music itself first, second, third... and lyrics only after awhile or if they are very prominent or intriguing. Thus, my reviews are based almost entirely on the melodies, singing, instrumentals, etc. with little emphasis on lyrics.

The duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers released Rites of Passage, their fourth studio album, in 1992. When listening to it, it always brings me back to times of my childhood, when my parents would frequently play it during car trips and the like. Thus, this album has is a very special one for me; but in addition, as I have grown older and can compare it more objectively to other music, I still find that it is one of the most exceptional albums I've ever heard. The Indigo Girls share several strengths in common with my favorite band, the Beatles: strong melodies, great harmonization, good variety while staying true to their own style. I have also listened to several other IG albums (which I may review in the future), but this is by far the best, in my opinion. And now for a song-by-song review:

1. "Three Hits" (Ray)
Rites of Passage starts with a great, moderately-paced and foot-tapping song. Written and sung (lead vocal) by Amy, "Three Hits" begins with just drums, bass and Ryan's singing, but soon opens up to the full band of guitars, other instrumentals, and Salier's harmonies. The song features two brief, nifty solos (one by strings, one by guitar), and both verse and chorus are very catchy. It gives just a taste of the brilliant harmonies of which the duo is capable, but it is more than a solid opened for the album, at an ideal 3.10 playing time to boot.

2. "Galilieo" (Saliers)
"Galilieo" is the single from this album, and it was chosen well: the song is certainly among probably my thirty favorite songs of all time. Put simply, I find just about everything in this song to be perfect or close to it. With a similar pace to "Three Hits," "Galileo" features a bright, up-beat sound with nifty percussion. Emily's lead vocal is phenomenal, and the harmonies burst out on this track, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up every time I hear them. The verses are very good build up, and the chorus is among the best I've ever heard, featuring those harmonies. A fantastic middle-eight section followed by a neat solo give the song great variety, and the instrumentals are all perfectly suited to the song. Even the lyrics, which I rarely pay much attention to, are thought provoking, and in the chorus, very powerful. Please, listen to this song if nothing else.

3. "Ghost" (Saliers)
One of my thirty favorite songs of all time is followed on this album by what I consider to be one of the most emotionally powerful and beautiful. This moving ballad is again written and sung (lead vocal) by Saliers, and it strips the instrumentals down after the soaring end to "Galileo," featuring mostly guitars and strings. The first verse is sung by Emily alone, with a perfect yearning style. Amy joins in the verses, and again powerfully at the chorus. Yet again, the middle-eight stands out, even more so this time, reaching a peak of emotion with spine tingling harmony and key changes. After reaching an intense but controlled climax, the song fades on a contemplative guitar for the last few moments. Truly a touching song, gorgeous and moving (again, the lyrics impressed me) and a worthy follow up to "Galileo".

4. "Joking" (Ray)
The next song brightens the mood of the album again, as indicated by the title of the song. It's a good track, although, especially coming on the heels of the phenomenal "Galileo" and "Ghost," it's a bit underwhelming. The song is the most up tempo song on the album yet, and it's up beat. The backing guitars are one of the nicest parts of the song, symbolizing its bright nature. The chorus is actually, by the standards of the album, a small let down, and has a tendency to get stuck in your head, but I guess some song following the prior two greats had to take a hit in this regard. Essentially, it's a nice way to come back to earth after the two G's, and appropriately nothing too special.

5. "Jonas and Ezekial" (Ray)
The next track has two personalities, forming a nifty little song that is one of the better on the album. The verses are sung with quiet intensity in Amy's deeper but powerful voice, and is supported by echoing, howling, and wailing from guitars, forming an atmosphere that seems to be preparing for a confrontation. But then the chorus changes direction, and sounds more like a release of tension from this confrontation. The song is somewhat long, but the varied harmonies from Emily and, one of the song's strengths, its guitar work, keep the song fresh throughout. Various sound effects are employed, and with the song's changes in mood, intensity, and focus, it is one of the more clever and enjoyable parts of the album.

6. "Love Will Come To You" (Saliers)
For the sixth track, the Indigo Girls perform another ballad. Like "Ghost," it begins with Emily singing alone, and it is clear that this is significantly more up beat than "Ghost" but also fairly wistful, a tone that is very well supported by the guitar accompaniment. The verses are very pretty, with this mixed tone of emotion, but it is the chorus where the song truly shines. The wistfulness is abandoned for a restrained but unambiguously positive tone. Amy provides very nice, restrained harmony through much of the song. An excellent song, and one of the best on the album.

7. "Romeo and Juliet" (Knopfler)
This song is a cover of Mark Knopfler's song for Dire Straights. While I have not yet heard the original song, this cover is a strong track. It features Amy on lead vocal, using a considerable amount of what I think is referred to as "musically heightened speech." She is accompanied throughout only by the acoustic guitar; no harmony from Emily in this one. Amy puts an enormous amount of emotion into this song, from heart-strickened longing, to vocal chord-ripping fury that sounds like it will rip through the mic. For what it is, I think it's a well done song, although it's not really my style. Incredible performance from Amy on this one.

8. "Virginia Woolf" (Saliers)
This song is perhaps the most creative on the album. It starts with a string introduction that brings to mind an old-fashioned setting. This is followed by a mysterious sounding vocal by Emily, accompanied by guitar and cello, and transitions into the main part of the song. This section, the bulk of the track, is carried by a very nifty guitar hook that gives continues the theme of mysteriousness, but sounding more up beat to go with the faster tempo. I feel like the song could be a good accompaniment to looking back on one's memories with fondness, and hope for the future, as symbolized by Amy's neat harmonic ascending scale in the chorus. With its neat opening sections, guitar hook, and hopeful tone, this is one of my favorite songs on the album.

9. "Chicken Man" (Ray)
Following up "Virginia Woolf" is another favorite of mine, "Chicken Man". Amy sings the opening as a tribal (for lack of a better term) solo. The instruments begin to enter, as the tribal tone is mixed with a rock beat to form one of the coolest and creative sounds I've heard. Amy's deep yet versatile voice is perfectly suited to this song with its adventurous, up-tempo style. Emily's harmony, used selectively, is very effective as well. The song goes back to the same, slower solo later, and seems like it may end before going back to the up-tempo style for one last hurrah. If your foot isn't tapping during this song, you should check your pulse. Also, the song features the best use of the harmonica that I think I've ever heard. Definitely a favorite.

10. "Airplane" (Saliers)
While the title of this song may imply flying high, unfortunately its quality summons the opposite feeling. That's not to say it's a bad song (though some indeed detest it), but it does fail to live up to the album's high standards. The track is played at a fairly relaxed pace and is up beat. Depending on your mood, the melody could be a nice one to relax to, or grate your nerves. Shockingly, it is actually the harmonies of this song (the sickeningly sweet, high-pitched ones) that ground "Airplane." The song features a very nice piano part, but those almost commercial song-like harmonies are just too much.

11. "Nashville" (Ray)
I guess the Indigo Girls wanted to put them together so as not to affect the shine of the rest of the album as much, but this is the other weaker song on the album. Where "Chicken Man" uses the harmonica to great effect, it drives me crazy in this slower-paced country song. The fact that it is so clearly a country song may be part of why I dislike it, considering my distaste for that genre, but unfortunately, there is just not much to get excited about in either the melody or harmonies of this song. Plus, it gets somewhat repetitive in 4 minute running time. Perhaps if you're a fan of country music you'll like this more, but this one sure isn't for me.

12. "Let It Be Me" (Saliers)
This is more like it. The song opens with a nice bass part played at a laid-back tempo. The bass is soon joined by a cool guitar part, and after that Emily and Amy enter with their harmonies hitting on all cylinders. The whole song is very upbeat, but like the other upbeat songs on the album (except perhaps "Airplane"), it is a restrained feeling that avoids any sappiness. And the chorus is fantastic, with Emily and Amy going into a call-and-response and ending with entwined harmony on an extended note. Just a nice little song, not overstaying its welcome, "Let It Be Me" would have been a great final track for this album.

13. "Cedar Tree" (Ray)
Which is not to say that the Indigo Girls should not have included this track on the album. It's a fine song, although not one of the best on the album. It definitely has the tone of a wrap-up song, and a fairly slow tempo, which sometimes can make it sound a little too long, despite coming in at under 4 minutes long. On the other hand, it is a nice song that causes one to adopt a reflective mood. The harmony provided by Emily is fine, although due to the subdued nature of the song it doesn't provide the "wow" that some of the other tracks do. Certainly an acceptable contribution to the album, "Cedar Tree" is also not one of its better parts.

Score: 5 (due to my connection to it from childhood); 4.5 (when trying to be more objective; the album starts off extraordinarily well, but the last few songs are a bit of a letdown, comparatively) out of 5.

Essentials: "Galileo", "Ghost", "Chicken Man"
Weak(er) Tracks: "Airplane", "Nashville"