But the reason the infamous 'Her stories are boring and stuff' line (from "Obstacle 1", still easily the album's best song) gets so much flak isn't because of the words themselves, but because it's so self-important and precise - it's not casual or off-the-cuff or 'real' in any way, because the 'and stuff' part is delivered with the same level of turgid angst as the 'Her stories are boring' part. 'The subway, she is a porno' I can deal with - that contributes to the foggy, sun-behind-the-gloom feel of its song ("NYC"), which actually does capture an effective and even moving atmosphere of New York City in the months just after 9/11 - like a pretentious 25th Hour. (My favorite: 'Yours is the only version of my desertion that I could ever subscribe to.' Eugghhhh.) No, the problem with the album's language is two-fold: one, it's shitty poetry, and two - and this is fatal - it's taken so fucking seriously. Not, please, for the lyrics as written, though there are obviously some snicker-worthy lines here that feel like the product of a sophomore who's just read Fight Club and Fahrenheit 451 for the first time and thinks he understands the world. Turns out it's considerably dumber than I remember.
I was actually all set to give this record a respectable B+ until I actually pulled out my CD a few hours ago and played it all the way through for the first time in a few years. To be fair, as far as dumb Joy Division imitations go - and make no mistake: the low roils of (sometimes-)melodic bass, the reliance on sharp snares intercut with low toms tumbling off into tunnels, and of course Paul Banks' voice are most assuredly dumb Joy Division imitations - this ain't bad.
Tone-wise, I mean in terms of actual, y'know, talent, these guys definitely sit at post-punk's kiddie table. Mock the Joy Division comparisons all you want, but they're still apt and they'll always be apt.
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