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Not many indie bands make it to album eight, much less put in an effort. Fortunately for listeners, the Seattle-based trio Silkworm has the moxie to stick around and keep releasing pop-ego, emo-id rock tunes. Lifestyle gets off to a rough start, threatening to crash under the dead weight of its plodding opening track, "Contempt." But they regain their mojo on the second cut, the infectious Guided by Voices-like "Slave Wages." It's also closer to the spirit of the rest of Lifestyle, which divides its time between simple, killer indie rock hooks and sullen numbers that recall the solo work of former Silkworm member Joel R.L. Phelps. On the pop side, "Treat the New Guy Right," "Raging Bull," and a cover of the Faces' "Ooh La La" bare musical muscle fleshed out in Steve Albini's studio (love that echo!). Plaintive numbers such as "Roots" and "The Bones" hit the heart, even if this Lifestyle won't make Silkworm rich and famous. If Silkworm can keep releasing albums this good, let's hope they stick around for another eight. --Jason Josephes
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By Davy (Athens, GA)
silkworm yanked themselves out of the doldrums with this record, their finest since firewater. while the second half gets a little shakey, the album opens VERY strongly with two of the catchiest, hardest rocking tunes of the band's catalog: "slave wages" and "treat the new guy right". the middle of the album is fleshed out by a pair of warm acoustic numbers, and the end of the album greatly benefits from a well-chosen faces cover. if one were a cynic, one might call this silkworm's comeback album.
By Wesley D. Stephens (Dekalb, IL USA)
This is the best rock album of the 00's so far, hands down. and today is may 2003! This album is perfect in every way. Do yourself a favor and order this now! you will not regret it. unless of course you like garbage like limp biskit...
By
SILKWORM
LIFESTYLE
by Nigel Crowley, vinyl enthusiast
***** out of *****
They say the best music is created from the rural experience, and what better band to highlight this than Missoula, Montana's Silkworm. Another charming release, to be sure. My first introduction was their subsequent record, "Italian Platinum," which is also not to be shat upon. If you think about it, what is the point of defecating on a recorded product? Really--too much effort, and far too messy. There are a few LP's that have tempted me, though--Oasis being one of them. Wankers.
So I suppose my appreciation of this trio (a.k.a. three gentlepersons performing in a musical concoction) is in reverse and not fast forward. One can only imagine if you tried to do both at the same time, how confusing that would be.
But let's get back to the record. "Lifestyle" is about as good as they come. I especially appreciated the flourishes of piano/organ on the wondrous opening track "Contempt," based in part on the Jean-Luc Godard film. Brainy fellows, these Silkworm are. Guitarist Andy Cohen breathily moans some of Bridgitte Bardot's lines from the picture as his bandmates gracefully tap around him in rollicking indie splendour. A good shagging song, when all's said and done.
On the following track, "Slave Wages," bassist Tim Midgett has some financial issues to discharge. And really, you can't have enough songs about money, what a terrible thing it is indeed. When Midgett sings the line "My sleep relies on valerian tea/and the slave wages I've been accumulating now," a lonesome tear rolled down by reddened cheek. Midgett also triumphs on the concise "Raging Bull," (no reference to the Scorsese film), a fairly bittersweet song about a swim instructor's daughter, I think. Actually, I don't know what it was about, I wasn't paying attention to the lyrics.
They pull out the rock luggage on several other driving, power-rockers, including the simply sublime "Treat the New Guy Right" (it will have you humming the head-scratching " When you run into the night/ain't you ever been alone in your life?/Motorhead is coming for you/You gotta treat the new guy right" all day long), the downright saucy "Plain," "That's Entertainment," ( in-between lovely, long, Neil Young-ish solos, we are treated to Cohen witticisms such as "The affair was good/but it wasn't worth the money/Don't you cry/I earn a lot now/and you see/What you could be/If you were only willing to work as hard as me/") and "Around the Outline," which is sung by charcoal-throated drummer/chanteuse Michael Dahlquist.
With all of this rocking being done, one can only wonder if there's time to breathe. Indeed there is, in the quiet campfire melodies of "Roots" and "The Bones," both about god knows what. That's the beauty of this band and this record, however; it's good for knocking down a few pints with the mates, but also not a bad choice for powdering your feet.
By The Laughing World (Brisbane, Australia)
One of the better records of 2001, was this, American indie-rockers Silkworm's latest release. 'Lifestyle' features twelve tracks, including a cover of 'Ooh La La' by The Faces. These twelve tracks have a continuous flow, with a indie rock meets garage meets country feel, sort of like what would happen if the principal members of Sebadoh, Pavement and Crazy Horse were to collaborate. The record has been produced by Steve Albini, and his touch creates a sense of lowend and clarity that further improve 'Lifestyle's charms. In particular, 'Treat The New Guy Right', 'The Bones' and 'Yr Web' are fantastic tunes that deserve to be heard by a wide audience. 'Lifestyle', while not a radical diversion from Silkworm's back catalogue, is interesting and creative enough to still be fresh after being given many listens that an album of this calibre deserves.
By Chris McKinley (Seattle, WA USA)
This is my favorite Silkworm release. I like it better than Firewater, but than maybe Firewater was too deep for me. Lifestyle isn't too introspective, but it's really interesting and I think anyone would like it a lot. Good mix on the songs. Interesting piano licks. Good vocals, drumming, and guitar. What more can I say? Lifestyle is good.
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