On their fourth album, Worlds Apart, Austin rockers ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead aim high. Real high.
Whether or not this is in an attempt to expand their fan base (hint, hint: mainstream success) remains unclear. What is clear is that the album itself is a frequently stunning and occasionally upsetting listen.
Trail of Dead has never shied away from monstrous soundscapes, and their music is often labeled as "epic" and "dynamic." Their last album, 2002's phenomenal Source Tags & Codes, found them, for the first time, on a major label (Interscope) with money to burn. This led to a more polished and beefier sound while remaining fierce and unpredictable. Now, however, the stakes are higher and reinvention proves a fertile ground for accessibility.
The first single and title track "Worlds Apart" is equally the most enthralling and instantly alarming song on the album. It is the closest to pop that Trail of Dead have ventured to date. At the same time, it is consciously littered with enough profanity and venomous, if standard, attacks on popular culture to keep it from becoming the indie-makes-good sing-along of Modest Mouse's "Float On." While the guitars bounce and jangle with the crisp snap of the drums, Conrad Keely bemoans the state of our nation without, of course, providing any clear answers.
While Worlds Apart may not make Trail of Dead a household name, it does cement their place as one of music's most daring bands. This is an accomplishment that is nothing if not epic.
Michael Petitti