Watch Me Fall

Jay ReatardWatch Me FallMe, I’m not the greatest singer. Jay Reatard, he’s not the worst singer. When listening to the songs on Reatard’s second Matador Records release, Watch Me Fall, I’ve found myself singing along with a newfound swagger. Not only am I singing along, but I’m certain that my singing is better than the perfectly adequate vocals on the record that’s backing me. The issue here is not so much that Reatard’s vocal style is ineffective as it is that this particular bullish songwriter/rocker has some really well crafted songs that, well, flat-out beg for a better vocal treatment. Reatard’s vocals are whiny, framed by a fake British accent and youthful in a way that almost begs for a spot on the Warped Tour stage. Yeah, they sound fine and do the trick, but they also grate a tad too much after a few dozen spins.

Aside from Jay Lindsey’s notoriously nauseating stage name (I’d prefer anything, even Jay Arrhea, to this Reatard business), that’s my only complaint when it comes to Watch Me Fall, a record bound to be one of the year’s most celebrated mid-level indie releases.

The more I think about it (and, yeah, I know we’re only a paragraph into this review), maybe it’s a good thing that Jay Arrhea’s vocals grate on the ears so much. If he could sing with the effectiveness of a fellow fake Brit such as, say, Bob Pollard, I’d probably never be able to get Watch Me Fall’s punk-poppy version of power-pop off the turntable machine. Not since last year’s Baseball Project album have I basked in the guiltless glow of pseudo-adult power-pop bliss in the way Watch Me Fall has me doing today. But there’s nothing overly anomalous going on here - keyboards, guitars, a closet full of memorable hooks around every corner, a little bit of nefarious indie moodiness. Thirty-two blow-out minutes of seasoned, party-ready, road-trip friendly, get-me-on-the-stage pop music that works as the artist’s most clear-cut artistic statement yet.

Initially known for a dozen or so slapdash punk albums he released while fronting bands with names like The Reatards, The Bad Times, The Lost Sounds and so on, Reatard has spent the three years since his proper solo debut, Blood Visions, releasing 45s like they’re going out of style. Watch Me Fall builds on the success of last year’s Matador-issued singles collection, the aptly titled Matador Singles ‘08 - Reatard’s best work until the release of Watch Me Fall. The new record, while mostly similar in makeup to Matador ‘08, sees the Memphis melody maker focusing his garage rock vision, begging early naysayers to reconsider. His focus here seems to be the kind that begs one to believe that Reatard might end up being more than the tossed-off singles-maker and stage-puncher he’s been known as since entering the indie world’s dim spotlight.

As much as the vocals perturb and the production could stand to be a less prevalent element in the record’s design, Reatard has crafted a garage-pop collection that’ll jumpstart any PBR-fueled party. No matter how asinine the name attached to the work is, Watch Me Fall is the kind of record that could jumpstart any artist’s career. Put on repeat. Turn up. Sing along and feel alright.  8/10

Written by G. William Locke