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Nightmare Of You - Infomaniac

Rating

RIYL

Morrissey
The Smiths
The Cure

Release Date

08/04/2009

Label

The Bevonshire Label

Tracklist

1. Good Morning, Waster
2. Eustacia Vye
3. I Think I’m Getting Older
4. Someday, But Not Today
5. Hey Sweetheart
6. Experimental Bed
7. Amsterdam
8. Gavi
9. Tell Me When It’s Over
10. A Pair of Blue Eyes
11. Please Don’t Answer Me
12. Goodnight, Devil

Users Rating 3 ratings	Your Rating Create an account or log in to rate this album
Recent Ratings
Jose Terrero	Rick Gebhardt
Bill Lohr

Sour Patch Kids are a conflicting sort of candy. True to name, it’s a sour product; eventually, however, it gives way to the blissful sweetness of a traditional American treat. Product placement completely absent, this unhealthy amalgamation of sugar, high fructose corn syrup and gallons of food dye actually provides critical philosophical insight when examining Nightmare of You’s sophomore effort, Infomaniac. Truth be told, the album is candied and beautiful but is marred by several unbelievably acidic aspects that ultimately render it a Sour Patch Kid record.

Infomaniac is a sonically delicious blend of pop/rock and 80’s rock sensibility, as evidenced immediately by the premiere acoustic track “Good Morning, Waster.” There’s a piano transition from there to the catchy girl-talk number “Eustacia Vye,” which precludes a two-track show of what may be the grooviest intros all year (“I Think I’m Getting Older” has an airy guitar/bass combo and “Someday, But Not Today” gives us a foxy lady entrance riff). “Hey Sweetheart” is easily the most summer-oriented highlight for months to come with its stuttered “don’t take it so ha-ah-ah-ah-ard” wit and kicks off another marathon of awesome intros – five songs to be exact. “Please Don’t Answer Me” snaps the streak with only the second acoustic opening of the album and then shows off a brilliant poignancy in the chorus melody, seemingly describing the pains of losing a loved one. Musically, Infomaniac is accessible and fantastic; lots of memorable choruses, heaps of top-notch intros and altogether the perfect summer album.

Unfortunately, one could only wish it had the lyrical bust to match. Don’t take this as an all-out assault – positives aren’t too scarce. The album mainly explores three things: women, sex and dealing with tragedy, and it does so in a vocabulary that is refreshing in today’s cliché-ridden lyrics scene. A major highlight of the band’s self titled album was their use of sophisticated word choices to convey their point, and that has not gone away here, as we hear lines about “clandestinely meet[ing],” “Bostonian love” and “[moving] myself to Amsterdam in detest of a futile war.” It’s the overall voice and flow, though, that lacks sorely in various areas. “Hey Sweetheart” reads, “Hey sweetheart, is that your new car? / Why don’t you drive it off a cliff?” in anguish, whereas “Please Don’t Answer Me” can be as awkward as, “And it feels like I’ve been hit by a motorbike,” in its most sensitive and emotional moment, nearly ruining its songwriting genius. “Eustacia Vye” asks, “…out of fear of sounding dumb, / I think you have a drinking problem… / out of fear of sounding dumb again; / Why do you date so many women?” but the acknowledged “dumbness” is not excused and, rather, corrupts with full force.

Sour Patch Kids always turn out pleasures in the end, which is really why Infomaniac can be labeled as such. There are bitter points lashing out at musical taste buds in the lyrics, but ultimately the songs are so pleasantly summer appropriate that these negatives can be overlooked. If nothing, Infomaniac still points to the potential success in Nightmare of You’s future, but for now, this bittersweet treat will do.

--Matthew Tsai

Author

thetsaiguy

Last updated: 09/29/2009 09:04PM

Comments

Bill Lohr

07/14/2009

07:14AM

Age: 28

Location
Lehigh Valley, PA

I got this and at first listen I liked it. Then after I listened to it more, I ended up hating it. There is some decent instrumentation on it but other than that it is completely blah. Good review though Matt.