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SlintAlbums ReviewedTweez (1989)Spiderland (1991) Tweez(1989)A quartet from Louisville, Kentucky, Slint grew from the remains of another Louisville band, Squirrel Bait. As little as I know about American geography, Kentucky seems an unlikely location for an influential and almost unquestionably hip band, but Slint's two albums, along with Talk Talk's contemporaneous Spirit Of Eden and Laughing Stock, defined the rules for the emerging post rock genre at the turn of the 1990s. Slint are a long way removed from Talk Talk's jazzy, intricately recorded albums, but the deconstruction that they apply to hardcore is similar, in approach at least, to the transformation that Talk Talk made from pop to their own eccentric vision, which is why they're often cited together. The first of two albums from Slint, Tweez was recorded back in 1987, but not released until 1989. The influence of producer Steve Albini is obvious throughout the record, yet Tweez is dark and fractured in a way that a lot of other Albini projects aren't, and the band's twisted sense of musicality reaches far beyond Albini's trademark "sand-blasting" style. Tweez isn't a particularly song based album, and the lack of linear song structures shift the focus on to the shifting textures and dynamics, which is where the post-rock tag originated. Tweez is a captivating listen merely in terms of sound; the way that the band ignore rock conventions to pursue a more intellectualized, progressive and even mathematical approach music making was largely unprecedented and wide reaching. Rockers like 'Charlotte' don't sound too far removed from what At The Drive In were making 15 years later, but most of the time vocals are often forgone in favour of spoken anecdotes or sound effects. While Tweez is certainly an interesting listen it's not necessarily a substantial one, lacking memorable individual songs, and it's hard to talk too much about; the group certainly managed to corral their unique sound into more interesting songs on their sophomore effort. Of the nine songs, the first eight are named after the parents of the four members, and the final is named after drummer Britt Walford's dog. At less that 30 minutes, and without too much in the way of memorable individual songs, I'd be cautious about paying too much for Tweez, but nonetheless it feels largely unprecedented and therefore an interesting keystone in the history of rock's deconstruction. But I'd definitely be tempted to start with Spiderland and visit Tweez to chart the group's journey to that point afterwards. 
Spiderland(1991)Slint's second and final album was released in 1991, and although again it had little commercial impact it's almost indisputably recognized as alternative classic and extremely influential record. Spiderland is much more coherent and accessible than its predecessor, with fewer and longer songs, and a more systematic approach. While these songs aren't exactly traditional verse chorus structures, they seem more organized than their earlier work, with each song having a shape and a distinct identity rather than the almost schizophrenic jumps on Tweez. As Steve Albini points out in his celebrated review of this album, one of the closest historical antecedents to Spiderland is Television's Marquee Moon; both bands favour intricate dual guitar parts, although their approaches are different with Slint relying more on dynamics and subtlety as opposed to Television's more extroverted approach. Like Television they have a punk ethos and can be loosely lumped into the punk/alternative movement, but musically both are on the arty fringe of their genre. And like Television, there's not a whole lot of emphasis on vocals; Brian McMahon's voice is low key, often mumbled, although also sometimes screaming in a chillingly quiet voice as songs climax. It takes a few listens for these songs to sink in, but Spiderland is a fascinating record; there's plenty happening with the shifting time signatures, the uniquely dry sonic palette and production, and the expert use of dynamics. The most accessible material is at either end of the album - the precise riffs of the opening 'Breadcrumb Trail' and the album's best known song is the cathartic 'Good Morning, Captain' both feature relatively audible vocals and almost headbanging climaxes. 'Nosferatu Man' is surprisingly abrasive and heavy with its constant guitar riffs, while 'Don Aman' slowly simmers over its ominous four minutes before suddenly launching into bursts of guitar noise. 'Washer' probably covers the most stylistic ground on the album over its nine minute running time and the only disappointment is the penultimate 'For Dinner', which is pretty much non-eventful apart from the spasms of guitar noise. Spiderland is a landmark record that any open minded rock fan should try; it's not quite a flawless classic but it's idiosyncratic and personable. Apart from a two song EP in 1994 Spiderland was Slint's last record, and members have appeared in other bands including Tortoise and Billy Corgan's Zwan. Interestingly the iconic black and white cover photo with the four band members immersed in water was taken by Will "Bonnie "Prince" Billy" Oldham (formerly known as Palace Brothers).
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Written 2001-2007, Graham Fyfe
