Moody, Standard and Poor
Encyclopedia
Moody, Standard and Poor is the second album by the New York City
-based rock
band Obits
, released March 29, 2011 through Sub Pop
.
with recording engineer Geoff Sanoff and record producer
Eli Janney. The band went through 40 different recording from their rehearsals when selecting songs to work on for the album. According to guitarist and singer Sohrab Habibion, the songs are "shorter and more concise" than on the band's 2009 debut album I Blame You
: "We didn't intend to do that, but that's what we saw happening. It came down to 'How quickly can we get to the point, get in then get out of the song?' The sound of the record is a little more open. It sounds like you're in the room with the band live, which I think is a really nice sound." Owing to throat problems, singer and guitarist Rick Froberg
altered his vocal technique on the album, shifting from a yelling to a melodic style.
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, it received an average score of 73% based on 15 reviews. Mark Deming of Allmusic remarked that the album "suggests that they still haven't resolved the minor flaws that dogged I Blame You, but this time around that seems to matter less ... The best songs on Moody, Standard and Poor are the ones that let the Obits indulge in the interplay that's their musical reason to be, and when they lock in on 'You Gotta Lose,' 'I Want Results,' 'Beggin' Dogs,' and 'New August,' they sound like the first really great guitar band to emerge from the indie underground in years." Jonah Bayer of Alternative Press said that "With their second full-length, these Drive Like Jehu
and Hot Snakes
alumni have peeled back the distorted layers to get to what lies at their core: seasoned songwriting." David Pott-Negrine of Drowned in Sound
praised the timeless sound of the album: "Moody, Standard and Poor somehow manages to sound both old and new, like finding out a lost classic is actually a hot new band. Realistically, it could have been written and released at any point in the last 50 years."
Several critics complemented the sense of sonic space portrayed on the album. Bayer commented that "While Moody, Standard and Poor features everything from surf-inflected rockers ('Everything Looks Better in the Sun') to post-everything spaghetti Western
s ('New August'), the real brilliance lies in the sonic subtleties. It's all about perfect guitar tones, what frontman Rick Froberg doesn't say and the space Obits give their songs to breathe—even though it's evident it's not for lack of technical ability." "There’s a lot of space", remarked Pott-Negrine, "The songs are allowed to breathe. Nothing is hectic or in your face, or trying to grab your attention. There's no yelling. There's barely any distortion. A second listen reveals that there is something going on here; that there’s something bubbling under the surface, working its way under your skin."
Christopher Weingarten of The Village Voice
remarked that "If 2009's I Blame You was a stripped-down, bratty MC5
tantrum, then follow-up Moody, Standard and Poor is a more focused Wipers
implosion. With surf licks and lo-fi bristle poking through their hooks, it's a gritty blast with a sunny center." Joe Gross of Spin
commented that "There's certainly nothing fashion-forward on their second album, and thank goodness. These indie lifers rededicate themselves to the sound of Froberg's gritty yell, backed by a no-bullshit rhythm section, and interlocking, almost clean guitars. The songs are powerfully wiry and declamatory".
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Obits
Obits
Obits are an American rock band formed in 2006 in Brooklyn, New York. The band members are veterans of other independent rock bands: Guitarist/vocalist Rick Froberg was previously a member of Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, and Hot Snakes, and guitarist Sohrab Habibion was a member of Edsel...
, released March 29, 2011 through Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
.
Recording and composition
Moody, Standard and Poor was recorded at Saltlands Studio in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
with recording engineer Geoff Sanoff and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Eli Janney. The band went through 40 different recording from their rehearsals when selecting songs to work on for the album. According to guitarist and singer Sohrab Habibion, the songs are "shorter and more concise" than on the band's 2009 debut album I Blame You
I Blame You
-Personnel:*Rick Froberg – guitar, vocals, album art*Sohrab Habibion – guitar, vocals*Greg Simpson – bass guitar*Scott Gursky – drum kit*Geoff Sanoff – producer, recording engineer*Eli Janney – producer, recording engineer...
: "We didn't intend to do that, but that's what we saw happening. It came down to 'How quickly can we get to the point, get in then get out of the song?' The sound of the record is a little more open. It sounds like you're in the room with the band live, which I think is a really nice sound." Owing to throat problems, singer and guitarist Rick Froberg
Rick Froberg
Eric "Rick" Froberg is an American musician and artist. He was born in Los Angeles, lived in Encinitas, California, and currently resides in Brooklyn...
altered his vocal technique on the album, shifting from a yelling to a melodic style.
Reception
Moody, Standard and Poor received generally favorable reviews from critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, it received an average score of 73% based on 15 reviews. Mark Deming of Allmusic remarked that the album "suggests that they still haven't resolved the minor flaws that dogged I Blame You, but this time around that seems to matter less ... The best songs on Moody, Standard and Poor are the ones that let the Obits indulge in the interplay that's their musical reason to be, and when they lock in on 'You Gotta Lose,' 'I Want Results,' 'Beggin' Dogs,' and 'New August,' they sound like the first really great guitar band to emerge from the indie underground in years." Jonah Bayer of Alternative Press said that "With their second full-length, these Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu was an American post-hardcore and alternative rock band from San Diego active from 1990 to 1995. Formed by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Froberg and lead guitarist John Reis following the breakup of their band Pitchfork, the band's lineup also included bassist Mike Kennedy and...
and Hot Snakes
Hot Snakes
Hot Snakes were an American post-hardcore band led by Rick Froberg and John Reis, formed in 1999 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 2005. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu, after which Reis had found international success with Rocket from the...
alumni have peeled back the distorted layers to get to what lies at their core: seasoned songwriting." David Pott-Negrine of Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
praised the timeless sound of the album: "Moody, Standard and Poor somehow manages to sound both old and new, like finding out a lost classic is actually a hot new band. Realistically, it could have been written and released at any point in the last 50 years."
Several critics complemented the sense of sonic space portrayed on the album. Bayer commented that "While Moody, Standard and Poor features everything from surf-inflected rockers ('Everything Looks Better in the Sun') to post-everything spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
s ('New August'), the real brilliance lies in the sonic subtleties. It's all about perfect guitar tones, what frontman Rick Froberg doesn't say and the space Obits give their songs to breathe—even though it's evident it's not for lack of technical ability." "There’s a lot of space", remarked Pott-Negrine, "The songs are allowed to breathe. Nothing is hectic or in your face, or trying to grab your attention. There's no yelling. There's barely any distortion. A second listen reveals that there is something going on here; that there’s something bubbling under the surface, working its way under your skin."
Christopher Weingarten of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
remarked that "If 2009's I Blame You was a stripped-down, bratty MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
tantrum, then follow-up Moody, Standard and Poor is a more focused Wipers
Wipers
The Wipers were a punk rock group formed in Portland, Oregon in 1977 by guitarist Greg Sage, drummer Sam Henry and bassist Dave Koupal. Wipers were one of the earliest American purveyors of the genre, and the group's tight song structure and use of heavy distortion has been hailed as extremely...
implosion. With surf licks and lo-fi bristle poking through their hooks, it's a gritty blast with a sunny center." Joe Gross of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
commented that "There's certainly nothing fashion-forward on their second album, and thank goodness. These indie lifers rededicate themselves to the sound of Froberg's gritty yell, backed by a no-bullshit rhythm section, and interlocking, almost clean guitars. The songs are powerfully wiry and declamatory".
Track listing
Band
- Rick FrobergRick FrobergEric "Rick" Froberg is an American musician and artist. He was born in Los Angeles, lived in Encinitas, California, and currently resides in Brooklyn...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, artwork - Sohrab Habibion – guitar, vocals
- Greg Simpson – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Scott Gursky – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Production
- Geoff Sanoff – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, recording engineer, mix engineerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"... - Eli Janney – producer, recording engineer
- Aaron Rutledge – additional engineering
- Joe Lambert – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...