. . .
Baroness elicit strong opinions, whether it’s the heaps of praise for the Blue Record, or the small but steady stream of hate they got after abandoning the sound of the early EPs on the Red Album. As each album marks a significant progression and change in tone, excitement and disappointment are natural responses. Our own Beth Winegarner is a longtime fan of the band; she recently sat down with Natalie Zina Walschots (also known as Natalie Zed) to discuss the latest Baroness album—their sprawling, melodic double-disc, Yellow & Green.
. . .
Beth Winegarner: When I first fell in love with Baroness’s music, it was in spite of their progressive leanings. There was something about the songcraft – the way they use melody and rhythm, particularly – that hooked me deeply. Joseph Schafer, a fellow Invisible Oranges writer, recently wrote, “Metal bands, especially ones with no punk background, rarely grasp the fundamentals of punchy songwriting.” Given Baroness’s punk roots, maybe that explains it.
The band’s first two EPs are so massive and immediate. The Red Album reached in a more melodic direction, but lost little of that intensity. On Blue Record, something was missing; it was as if they were holding back. Yellow & Green explains why. They wanted to embrace more traditional song structures, but didn’t want to screw around with the formula on Red that had earned them so much attention. So you get songs like “Jake Leg”, which just sound off.
On Yellow & Green, you can practically hear the band saying, “Fuck it all, let’s make the album we’re dying to make.” You hear the same abandon you heard on those first two EPs. It’s glorious.
Natalie Zina Walschots: When I first fell in love with Baroness’s music, it was because of their progressive tendencies. While they relied on the melodic structures of their songs to serve as a kind of anchor, they were never afraid to explore and innovate, to spiral out as far from that musical core as they could. They pulled against the expected and the predictable, the easy and the merely pleasant. In the beginning, especially on their first two EPs, they reminded me of nothing so strongly as the first three lines of William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming”:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold
I was expecting them to eventually break loose from the anchor to which they had attached themselves, to build up enough creative velocity to rip free. On the Red Album, there was the ghost of the blood-dimmed tide that they’d promised to unleash, but more melodic and restrained. Blue Record was more promising: for all its softness, it was still massive. The focus was again the structure of the songs, and it seemed that Baroness were attacking their musical architecture with songcrafting siege engines, hammering the songs into shape. That album was still brooding and complex enough to start slouching towards Bethlehem. I was sure that the next album would be the monster I was expecting.
Then came Yellow & Green, and for the first time I heard a kind of self-imposed restraint that limited and held back, instead of enhanced. This was the constraint of shackles. Yellow & Green sounds like the album they had to make.
. . .
Baroness -
“March to the Sea”
. . .
BW
I agree with you that Baroness’s music has historically had this wonderful tension between structure and chaos. Another thing that kept them from being “too prog” for me was that sense that their music was always on the verge of going off the rails in some gorgeous, splintering wreck.
I find it interesting that on Yellow & Green, you hear restraint. One of the most striking things about the new Baroness material is the change in John Baizley’s lyrics. Until now, they were abstract bits of poetry, typically in the third person. But on Yellow & Green, they’re relatively naked, confessional portraits of how messy it is to be human, particularly on “Cocanium”, “Eula”, and “Collapse”. These songs are impressionistic, but no longer abstract. And far less restrained.
The fact that you can actually hear the lyrics is brilliant. John’s actually singing now, in harmony with Pete Adams. You’re humming along to an irresistible vocal line, and then you realize you’re singing, “‘This apple makes me sick’ / Cries the pig upon his stick / ‘It’s my own blood’.”
NZW
I agree with you on one major point here: the lyrics are far and away the finest I have ever heard on a Baroness record. The words themselves are intimate, and performed with a desperate tenderness that really got to me. “Collapse” in particular really hit home, and the almost-in-tears (yet still powerful) quality of “Take My Bones Away” is wonderful.
The thing is, I don’t think the music matches it. Where the lyrics are powerful, the music is (while certainly detailed, layered, lush, and complex by turns) often delicate to the point of being timid. It’s like a torn-out heart served on a fine piece of china, surrounded by a doily.
. . .
Baroness -
“Take My Bones Away”
. . .
BW
It’s funny, because “A torn-out heart served on a fine piece of china, surrounded by a doily” reminds me of Baroness’s artwork: you have all these delicate flowers, bird feathers, fine lace dresses — and then you have skulls, eyeballs, swans being beheaded or impaled, teeth falling out, and so on. Baroness have always been about the juxtaposition of the sublime and the gruesome, in their art as well as their music, and to me the material on Yellow & Green is right in line with that mission.
One of the things I really love about this album is that, despite how much the band has wandered from the sound you hear on earlier records (particularly the first two EPs), you can still tell it’s a Baroness record. It sounds authentically like them. They really inhabit these songs, from rhythm to vocals to lyrics. That’s what I hear. I don’t hear any compromises. But you’re saying you hear restraint, even shackles. If that’s the case, what do you think would motivate them to hold back?
NZW
I think you really just nailed something: that Baroness’s music (and this is echoed in the artwork that accompanies it) has always been about the juxtaposition of the grotesque and the sublime.
I feel as though they have made a choice; that they chose to upset the balance between these two concepts, to destroy the tension and instead choose one over the other. The ache of the grotesque still throbs in Yellow & Green, but it no longer has the tension that it once did. I love things that are both beautiful and ugly, but Baroness have chosen to align themselves with prettiness – and the ugly part of me mourns the loss.
In choosing to pursue the sublime over the grotesque through their art, Baroness have made the decision to tie themselves down. I sincerely believe they were going for simplicity and clarity of vision in terms of the music, but the result, in my opinion, is far too gentle. Even sandpaper, if the grit becomes too fine, can no longer change the face of the surface; with all the roughness removed, it might as well be a silk cloth, soft and lovely but unable to damage and change.
. . .
Have you heard the new Baroness? How does it measure up?
. . .
Baroness -
“Eula”
. . .
It doesnt seem like either of you touch upon how long these two albums are together. In my opinion this would have made a much better 45-50 minute album (perhaps the Grellow Album?)with a lot less filler than they have. I have absolutely no problem with the softer Baroness and really enjoy the majority of these albums, however, there are definitely a few songs that after a couple listens through the whole thing i now roll my eyes a bit and hit the next track.
I’m not sure why Natalie didn’t mention it; the reason I didn’t mention it is that I don’t hear any filler. I like pretty much all the songs. Sure, I like some more than others, but I wouldn’t want to see any of them cut.
This album was designed to be a vinyl double-LP. John Baizley is an old-school vinyl fan, so they deliberately made a double album that seems shortish by modern standards, where each record is 50-60 minutes. You can’t cut that up and get 4 vinyl sides. Instead, it’s about 20 minutes per side, hence the 75-minute length. It’s the perfect size when you look at it that way.
Yea, I ordered the yellow and green colored vinyl (respectively). the whole package is really awesome
For the most part, I agree with Natalie’s take, especially her original review of the album. I have to disagree on the lyrics, though.
Baroness is light, refreshing root beer for people who don’t like Jägermeister.
And what would this Jägermeister be?
You two are great! And I truly understand the impulse behind both reactions. As for my stance…
There is no reason to have a double album. Ever. They do not work, and always end up with 1/3-23ds of good material and the rest is filler. Yellow and Green would have been much stronger as a single disc.
And while I still like it a great deal, it’s the first Baroness record that is not, I don’t think, a step up from the last in EVERY way.
Lastly–this is not a heavy metal record. And that’s OK! If they want to be a rock band, let them. I did not mind when Cave In shifted gears, and I don’t mind it here. I simply wish they would come out and say that straight-out so people STOP comparing it to their previous body of work. Continuing the color scheme thematic did not do them any favors, it invites comparisons, when comparison is inappropriate.
Counterpoint: The Maniacal Vale by Esoteric. An outstanding funeral doom album, sprawling over two discs but with no filler at all.
An attempt at recording the definite Y&G debate? If that was your intent, this is far too civil. (I wonder how it would read if it were two men discussing/arguing.)
I really like this article. It puts the band in two wildly different contexts, neither of which is the whole story. You put it all together, and see the whole.
I do agree with the above commenter, though. You didn’t mention that some of it is, indeed, filler.
i dont believe the gender of the people discussing it would matter to much. the amount of alcohol a person has consumed before arguing about music usually has a more hilarious outcome
“I wonder how it would read if it were two men discussing/arguing.”
Interesting: Don’t you read enough of men arguing about teh metalz?
Cheers!
When Joseph Schafer and Richard Street-Jammer debated the new Alcest, they were much more polite than we were.
I read Schafer’s interview with Frenchy McAlcest* and felt preemptive guilt about being too harsh on his art. Dude seems like a genuinely nice and smart guy.
*too lazy and busy to look his name up
Dude, how hard is “Neige?”
It’s neige my fault he isn’t in a super cool power metal band! Then I could remember his name.
I don’t mean to complain, cos I do like reading two-sided reviews of new music, but this kind of writing has gotten a little obnoxious.
You basically just said “I think these things are awesome!” and “these things were disappointing!” in the kind of language English students use when they really want to have a “debate” but don’t really know what they’re talking about. It would have sounded less self-indulgent if you had just said what you thought was awesome or disappointing.
Baroness’ music is talked about all the time. Why don’t people talk more about how the drumming style has radically changed, what the different songwriting tactics mean, etc? What the lyrics are talking about and if you make a connection? What the lyrics and music and art have to do with each other? I think the band has put a lot of work into this stuff but all I ever hear from reviewers and bloggers is either the tired “it’s not heavy anymore dude fuck this”/”No way bro beautiful proggy musics are cool” thing; or a pretty surface-level chat about aesthetics, dressed up to sound more intellectual and thus deeper.
I’m not saying all this to be a jerk, but I don’t think this article really SAYS much of anything, it just sounds lofty and a little pretentious. You could put the effort you spent coming up with neat ways to say something simple into listening until you come up with something interesting to say, and say it simply. You’d have a much, much better article.
^that wasn’t supposed to get tagged onto FMA’s comment. Sorry dude.
Great article.
One of the things that stood out for me was that I really didn’t like the lyrical content on this album. Technically this album is a gorgeous one, even though I’ve never been a fan – I liked their earlier EP’s better, but that’s just me. I also see the comparisons between the career / musical stylings of Mastodon and Baroness, which has always turned me off. However, they really showed their strengths on this one, the vocals are great, but too meandering. I had to listen in sections……
The guitar playing is gorgeous. I can listen through the whole record only listening to the guitars and enjoy myself plenty. But the rhythm section doesn’t quite work. I get the same feeling listening to Alcest and a few other metal-gone-alt bands (different vibe, similar requirements)–the drums sound like a watered down impersonation of the bands they’re trying to sound like. It’s a nitpicky complaint, but I never get past it.
I like the vocals even less. Props for the attempt, but it’s not to my taste at all.
it’s not a nitpicky complaint at all, the drums are really watered down. in truth, they have been since the Red album, just it wasn’t notable there because they were different enough from the eps that it was a novel turn. now I have even a hard time listening to a bunch of the Red album (which, with a different drummer, could have been a spectacular feat) because it’s all this unnecessary hi-hat work.
also, from Blue onward, the vocals have been WAY TOO HIGH IN THE MIX.
Baroness used to be a pretty heavy band. I got into them because they sounded like Mastodon. With Blue Album they started sounding like a bunch of wimpy pussies. It is a sound I cannot dig.
Been a fan of the band since long before their name was on the lips of “metal” people, loved the Red Album…regardless of metal or not qualifications, this record is BORING…just like the last one was. The songs and energy just aren’t there…but hey it debuted at # 30 on the Billboard 200, so what do I know?!?!
So basically the people who don’t like *Yellow and Green* are either angry that the band deviated from the sound of a previous record, or disappointed that the band didn’t develop that sound in the direction that the listener wanted. I don’t see a lot of people willing to say “Hey, this is the record that *the band* felt was an organic result of their journey – maybe I should hang with that for a while and see how it goes.” You may still not like the album in the end, but at least give it and Baroness the courtesy of treating it as a thing-in-itself instead of burdening it with your expectations.
I can only speak for myself, but I went into it with an open mind and just didn’t like the album. I’m sure the band is happy with the product, but why should that matter to me?
^THIS. There’s far too little trust and credit granted these days to bands that have established themselves with great releases. What happened to sitting with an album and giving it time to reveal itself?
I do not like this band at all, they are as overrated, bland and trendy as Mastodon were when they first came out. HIPSTER METAL!
hipster this, hipster that…. get a life !
The problem with the haters is one of nomenclature. This is not a metal record. It’s a phenomenal rock album. Take the bamd’s advice and enjoy the two sides in two separate sittings. Also, if you cannot feel the power and glory in the “Green Anthem,” your taste in music was never worth consideration in the first place.
I really have been listening to little else lately, just because there’s so much different stuff on this record… sounds ranging from the foo fighters to depeche mode to muse and the fucking get up kids. Awful right ? …well somehow it works for me, i like it a lot. No masterpiece, no daring piece of “oh we’ll show these metal heads that we’re not just into metal” just a good album of a band trying out new directions. I agree with Beth though, i think every song here has it’s place in this Yellow & Green trip…. no filler, just what they wanted/needed to do.
It helped that their show two nights ago was absolutely stellar, full of energy and they are super nice guys to boot. Eula live was immense….and HEAVY !
I would have liked the transition to this sound to be a bit more gradual… you know two more albums in between slowly going to where they went. But bands should never listen to their fans anyways.
I like !
I feel like the emotional content on Y&G makes it probably their heaviest record. I like that they decided to get out of their own way musically so they could let the narratives of these songs shine.
Oh, shit, I can’t believe I didn’t see this comment earlier. Please don’t use “heavy” to mean anything other than “heavy,” in any metal forum. And by “heavy,” I mean the “sounds like Electric Wizard” element. It’s diluting the meaning of the term.
You goofy.
I liked the Red Album. I did not like the Blue Record. I like the Yellow, but I do not like the Green. That’s weird, huh?
You clearly just like warm colours, but not cold ones.
I have enjoyed Baroness from the EP’s through to Blue Record and enjoyed the changes along the way. Blue Record actually floored me in the best possible way. Yellow & Green though? I’ve given Yellow 3 tries now and only enjoy maybe two or three songs. Green was so disappointing that I actually found myself bored and distracted only 3 songs in. I haven’t come back to it yet. I’m not gonna hate the band for doing what they wanted, but I’ll be more cautious about buying their next record blindly. For me, as of now, Baroness have run their course.
First time I heard it, I was like geez they made a double album based off Steel that sleeps the eye: minor key melancholy guitars, vocal duets, background noises and such. Luckily this albums a grower, and there’s more than enough sonic depth to keep things interesting. And, like the recent Torche LP (and the latest Japandroids) there are 3-4 absolutely banging songs on it, which is enough to make it sound anthemic at times.
Overall, a winner. And the drummer is good live. Keep in mind, there is precedent for this stuff. Boris went down the same path recently and nobody batted an eye.
They have made the transition to rock better than Mastodon and Kylesa. This seems like where they should’ve been.
I’ve never cared for them too much before due to a bitter Mastodon-lite, aftertaste, but will be keeping up more now.