A back-to-basics record,
Life Like
finds
Joan of Arc
as a four-piece, the base trio of
Tim Kinsella
, bassist
Bobby Burg
, and drummer
Theo Katsaounis
joined by guitarist
Victor Villareal
. (For those unaware,
Villareal
and
Kinsella
are longtime friends who forged a new working relationship after their former band
Cap'n Jazz
reunited in 2010.) The quartet returned from a long European tour and immediately entered Electrical Audio with
Steve Albini
at the helm; five days later they emerged with
.
sounds rejuvenated having
back in the studio with him; the ten-minute opener
"I Saw the Messed Binds of My Generation"
encapsulates an instrumental warm-up plus the token confessional indie rock. Aside from the
fans still around, emo fans will also want to take notice;
is the closest to emo that
has come in ten years. Part of it is having a small group and part of it is being recorded up-front and raw (as only
can do). Best of all,
's lyrical wit is still affecting, displayed in both song titles (
"Howdy Pardoner"
) and his always honest, direct lyrics about relationships ("Let's cut each other's strings/Give me a hand if you understand"). ~ John Bush