I Am Bones
The greater good
Morningside Records
My only true criticism of this album is that it should have followed the delightfully dirty, (dare I say it?) grungy direction that opener "Home is the one corner of hell that didn't catch fire" suggested. There is absolutely no underestimating the depth of my nostalgic descent that occurred as "The greater good" bled alive. I missed that Nirvana shirt that I left carelessly behind at a friend's house in Sweden like I have only ever missed lost loves before... but anyways, sorry about all that. Don't get too caught up in those first few lines, for what follows on I Am Bones' album is quite fantastic, and, to be honest, probably much better than a redefinition of that 'Seattle Sound'. "Leave the city" is yet more evidence that Denmark is home to some of the best indie songsmiths in the world, ones that seamlessly tie the dark to the light, the softly serene to the guttural and distorted, and producing fantastic pieces through this synthesis. Oh, and if you do have a soft spot for Mudhoney, there's more grunginess on "The masterplan", continuing a little into the following track "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing", a song that feels as though it could have been on "Incesticide" or Dinosaur Jr.'s "Bug". The standout, in my opinion, is "Baby, together we can live with ourselves": the most complete amalgamation of the varied influences - grunge, retro-rock, and indie - and individual voice of I Am Bones. "The greater good" functions as a remembrance, a forwarding of these memories, and a strange marker by which to see the progression of the music of my lifetime. While I hope these words inspire you to investigate these Danes and their craft, they do pale service to the music itself. Find a song, any song, and you'll be sold.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
