CMJ #105
September, 2002
IDAHO
We Were Young And Needed The Money
Idaho Music-Retrophonic
Los Angeles’ Idaho has carved out a career making
beautiful downer albums focusing on the sleepy baritone and spare compositions
of Jeff Martin, who’s earned comparisons to depressive maestros like Marks Eitzel and Kozelek. For this “unofficial
follow-up” to 2001’s Levitate, the
band dipped into its back catalog and came up with 17 previously unreleased
tracks from its decade-long career. Similar in spirit and scope to 2000’s live
compilation People Like
Us Should Be Stopped. We Were Young And Needed The Money is comprised of rarities and
outtakes, supposedly
from, well, when Idaho was young and needed the money. Tracks range from early
melodic gems like 1992’s “Carefully Turning,” to more recent works such as
album opener “Social Studies” (from 1999’s Hearts
Of Palm sessions). The standouts, which include 1995’s “Teeth Marks,” with
its strange Seam-meets-Beck quality, and 1997’s “This Day,” which sounds like
Dinosaur Jr. on Quaaludes, are perfect sad/tense showcases for the ragged ache
of Martin’s brooding, delicate vocals. While odds-and-ends collections like
this will surely appeal to zealous Idaho fans, it may not be the best
introduction to the band for beginners: Those folks would do well to check out
1996’s Three Sheets To
The Wind.
>>>MICHELLE KLEINSAK
Link
File Under
Low and Codeine bedfellows
R.I.Y.L
American Music Club, Red House Painters, really mellow
Sonic Youth