Review: Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death – “Helpless”

Spencer Moody (Murder City Devils) and Corey Brewer (Bright Shiny Objects) toss out the verse-chorus-verse formulas and craft a lo-fi disc of mumbled musical moments in the image of early Bill Callahan and, to a lesser degree, Pavement. Refrains wobble along, somber pianos give way to sluggish samples and hooks occasionally surface among a sea of four-track half-ballads and meandering noise-dirges. In the midst of it all, the duo offers an inebriated and melancholy take on Neil Young’s “Helpless.” Yeah, you heard that right. –  Punk Planet, May/June 2006

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About the author

Justin Vellucci is a staff writer for PopMatters, Spectrum Culture, and MusicTAP, a contributor to Pittsburgh Current, and a former staffer for Popdose, Punk Planet and Delusions of Adequacy. His music writing has appeared in national magazines such as American Songwriter, alt-pubs like The Brooklyn Rail, Pittsburgh CityPaper and San Diego CityBeat, blogs Swordfish, Punksburgh and Linoleum, and the Gannett magazine Jetty. He lives in Pittsburgh.