Contact Us

Advertising

Comics

Crossword

The Arizona Daily Wildcat Online

Catcalls

Policebeat

Search

Archives

News Sports Opinions Arts Classifieds

Wednesday January 17, 2001

Basketball site
Pearl Jam

 

Police Beat
Catcalls

 

Alum site

AZ Student Media

KAMP Radio & TV

 

Rainer Maria

Headline Photo

A Better Version of Me

(Polyvinyl)

Grade: A

Albums released in January or February face steep odds if they aspire to top-ten list greatness. Like early Oscar contenders, these winter releases have to weather nearly an entire year's worth of competition, ensuring that only the most memorable - the very best - early-year offerings will still be on critics' radars come December.

So here's an utterly reckless prediction, given that 2000 is just two weeks gone - A Better Version of Me, the third full-length from New York City indie-rockers Rainer Maria, will find its place on many a music fan's personal best list of 2001.

When it comes to powerful, emotive rock-and-roll, Rainer Maria have long been at the head of the class - the stirring melodies and insightful, poetic lyrics on 1999's Look Now Look Again, while a trifle rough around the edges, attracted considerable national attention. Version fulfills Look Now's promise - tracks like "Spit and Fire" resonate with swelling guitar chords and warm, rich bass lines while singer Caithlin DeMarrais delivers her earnest, personal lyrics in ringing, bell-like tones: "Knowing that you've opened up yourself to me is no victory/But a consolation prize will suffice tonight."

The album is by no means perfect - while DeMarrais and fellow songwriter Kyle Fischer exhibit admirable restraint for a pair of former poetry students, a few glitches, like the somewhat self-indulgent "The Contents of Lincoln's Pockets," slip through. (That said, the song is still probably the most rocking tune ever to include the word "disseminate").

Overall, however, Version is a cohesive and utterly satisfying whole, a compelling blend of emotion, energy and erudition that leaves the listener eager for more.

-Phil Leckman