Album Review: Avi Buffalo's "Avi Buffalo"

You should probably ignore any of the envy-laced praise that specifically concerns Avi Buffalo’s members’ diminutive ages.  Yes, everybody loves a good prodigy or four, but that shouldn’t be the focal point of reception of their impressive debut, out today on Sub Pop.  Instead of listening to each track as if its quality can be quantified by the number of years that its creators have lived and thinking “I could never have done this” or, conversely, “I could have done this better,” it’s best to forget all that nonsense and turn your attentions instead to the subtler details of each song’s construction.  Most notable are their jangly guitar riffs and oddball lyrics (e.g. “you are tiny and your lips look like little pieces of bacon”).   As I realized how personalized and unique this group’s songwriting style is, any thoughts of ageism, either for or against the band, dissipated quickly.

Take, for example, their infectious single “What’s In It For?”  Upon first listen, it’s easy to mistake it as your basic sugary twee ditty.  However, the subtle use of keyboards, mewling vocals, and skillfully-layered guitar lines lend the track its unique, spacey charm.  It’s appealing on a basic, cutesy level, but also engages the stern ear that serious musicians judge others with.  What listeners will quickly realize about this album is that it’s simultaneously catchy as hell and musically impressive.  In a cultural era where those two qualities are pretty dichotomous, Avi Buffalo is refreshing.

Mellow jazz-inflected percussion and guitar lines are not what a listener might expect from a song entitled “Five Little Sluts,” but, surprisingly, they work nicely in this context.  The toned-down melodies are a good pair for the intense storytelling quality of this song’s lyrics, which are reminiscent of having someone else’s dream described to you – the words are freewheeling, disconnected, often confused, and very urgent, as though the singer is trying to get it all out before the pertinent details fade back into the subconscious place from whence they came.

Less interesting is the largely indistinct ballad “Jessica,” which is buried in the middle of the album.  The track drags because it doesn’t contain any of the structural idiosyncrasies that characterize Avi Buffalo’s best work.  ”Jessica” really could have been written by anyone with a basement band about their anonymous ex-girlfriend, which is frustrating to trudge though.  The inspired specifics are missing, and those details, both in the lyrics and the instrumentation, are essential to Avi Buffalo’s appeal.

Luckily, the fabulous oddball “Summer Cum” picks up the album’s tone immediately afterward.  The lead singer, Avi Zahner-Isenberg, tweaks and twists his vocals until they’re at their strangest and most interesting.  Those startling vocals are paired with accessible, pretty guitar work to great effect.  The reverse is true on some parts of “One Last,” which showcase the kind of pitch-perfect feminine harmonies that the Dirty Projectors popularized.  The music sounds, at times, as though it’s being haunted – high, ghostly melodies often sneak through the  rollicking lead guitar and percussion.

The album ends with “Where’s Your Dirty Mind,” forgetting that it can actually be found just a few songs prior on “Summer Cum.”  Like “Jessica,” it lacks any discernible individualized qualities, providing a bit of a weak end for a really solid album.  If the last impression a band leaves a listener with stems from hackneyed lyrics about not wanting to die, it might be best for them to reconsider their closing track.

On the whole, this album is absolutely worth your while if you’re into twee but often wish that genre backed up its catchy pop appeal with skillful musicianship beyond your typical shimmery guitar riffs.  Even when taking into account audiences’ urges to slap a glowing review on anything young and fresh, Avi Buffalo truly deserve all the critical adoration that is undoubtedly heading their way.