"You looked like you enjoyed that then.""Yeah, yeah I did, they were good stuff. Wouldn't buy their album, though. And I think I've figured out why I almost never buy albums."
"What, just now?"
"Yeah, just while I was dancing."
"Why's that then?"
"Well, I was dancing and thinking how good these guys were, but I realized they were a bit, ah, what Scott just referred to as 'meat & two veg', like, they're good for what they are, which is guitar-bass-drums-rock(!), but they're nothing more than that, and there's a zillion bands that sound just like them, and their album wouldn't really be adding anything to my music collection that wasn't already amply represented. These guys are good for this environment, they're a great live band to rock out to, but I don't want to take them home and STUDY them, listen to them on earphones, read the lyrics, let them define particular moments for me. And I realized there's actually very few albums that induce that desire in me, and they're the only ones I buy. And the current musical digesis seems very much gearer towards looking backwards at the moment- I really don't see a lot of innovation, I don't hear much I haven't heard over and over, or can't hear some derivative of just by turning on the radio. Nothing I'd want to actually BUY."
BOOM.
Never heard anything like it. Still haven't heard anything like it. It's just this amazing, epic, gangbusting porno-pop-hellpit of a song. I asked Clair if I could borrow the album for a bit- I still haven't returned it, although now I own everything NIN has ever released, and a crapload of stuff they haven't. I love NIN for a great many reasons, about half of which I probably can't articulate without sounding like the wrap-up of a classic Star Trek episode. One of the half I can express is that, for good or ill, it doesn't sound like anything else you're listening to. It pushes music forward. You're not going to mistake it for one of a million identikit bands all playing the sames notes on the same instruments. You're at the forefront of musical creation.
Which is why a new NIN album is something that generates a lot of excitement for me- perhaps too much. Perhaps my expectation, the idea that NIN has to actually push the bounadaries of music, create something new each time, is so high as to be unreasonable. This may be- but that's too bad because, for better or worse, that's what I look to NIN to do- show me what else noise can do that I didn't think it could do before.
Does 'With Teeth' (or what, thanks to Meathead's excellent review, I will always think of as "A-With-a-teeth-ah!") do that? Yes and no. It's kind of half-and-half, actually. About half the songs are what I'd call...'standard NIN'- they'd fit pretty nicely on The Downward Spiral or The Fragile. They'd be standout tracks on either of those albums (the individual quality of all the tracks on this album is VERY high- there is barely a bum note), but they wouldn't be breaking new ground the way TDS did. The other half shows...glimmers of expansion. Hints that the veil is being pushed- but not broken.
I want to stress that this is a really, really good album- it's just not visionary. Trent said that his goal was to make a simple, stripped-back album that was just a series of good songs, and I think that goal is achieved. But it's disappointing. Trent's who I rely on to keep restaking the boundary points. He's made a great album within those boundaries- I had hoped for more.
Before I go on to a track-by-track breakdown, much discussion has been had on the ninternet about the odd packaging of the latest album (NIN CD-packaging has in the past been famous for being particularly complex and impressive), which consists of a web address, which leads to a massive PDF file which has all the lyrics/artwork on a single, enormous page. I imagine most people navigate through this page on their PC, but luckily I have a stonkin' great A0 printer in my office, so I've printed the whole thing out at scale- check out this pic for an idea of the size! I have to say that while I was initially skeptical about the idea (which Trent's reasons for doing are here), now that I've got the poster I just plain love the idea- it's bigger and better than anything that could have possibly been included with the CD. If the music isn't revolutionary, the packaging certainly is.
All the Love in the World - The opening track is, in my opinion, one of the best, and that comes the closest to sounding like something new and fresh. One thing I really like about this song is that, up until concluding stomping wrap-up of the song, the same beat-loop is never used twice: every single bar of the song's drum track is different. It's a neat effect, especially when capped with the hypnotic repitition of the closing. Great track.
You Know What You Are? - This song has actually grown on me pretty dramatically. The initial dissonance of the hyperkinetic drumbeat slowly reveals itself as a kind of brilliance, especially during the breakdown, and when it builds up again it feels truly epic and elevationary.
The Collector - The first bum note on the album is this song's truly painful lyrics:
I pick things up, I am a collector, and things, well they tend to accumulate. I have this net, it drags behind me...it picks up feelings.
Uhm, Trent? Your metaphor is showing, and it ain't pretty. Your net picks up...feelings? Jesus, man.
The Hand That Feeds - Ah, the big single. I think this song is a pretty good indicator of the album as a whole, because it's a decent, rockin' song that doesn't ask too much or push too hard- it's there, it rocks, it's technically awesome (the synth work freakin' rules), but it's nothing MORE than that. It doesn't go anywhere new. Trent has, brilliantly, given it almost infinite longevity and scope by releasing the source files to the song to the public at large, and an enormous 'remix community' has sprung up in its wake, with over 200 remixes currently being judged by the fans to see which is the best. This is an enormously entertaining listen, even some of the worst mixes have good qualities, and some of the mixes put the 'official' versions on the single to shame.
Love Is Not Enough - Meh. Pretty fillerish, as evidenced mainly by the fact that I can't recall what it sounds like without listening to it.
Every Day is Exactly the Same - Great, great track that really gets to the heart of depression and ennui. If it weren't for the genius that is 'Only', I'd probably tip this as the best track on the album. What really impressed me about this song is that the sound, almost all of which is incredibly well-realized synth-work, creates an aural subtext that complements the lyrics almost perfectly- even if you didn't understand English, you could probably get a really good 'sense' of what this song is about, from the sound. That to me is brilliant musical communication, and really shows what music can do. Love this song (the piano rocks, too- that's one thing to note about this album, almost every song has some piana on it, which I love).
With Teeth - "A-with-a-teeth-ah!" It's Italian Trent. This song is pretty good- it's mostly standard reptile-esque ninism, except for the gorgeous piano/synth solo in the middle. I absolutely LOVE the synth in this section- it makes the whole song, and then some. It's heartbreaking. How did he make this noise?!? It's like...he's trying to communicate with nebula-dwelling lifeforms. It's so damned good I wanna have sex with it.
Only - Ho. Lee. Crap. You should have seen my jaw drop when I first heard this song. It's insane! For starters, it's got the same beat as 'Billie Jean'! For seconders, it's BETTER than Billie Jean! It's got synths and a wah-wah guitar! It's got Trent riffing over it in the style of the guy who sung the title track to 'The Beverly Hillbillies'! ("Less concerned about fitting into the world; Your world, that is. Black gold, texas tea.") It's hilarious. I have never laughed so hard at a NIN track, nor wanted to dance so badly to a song. For thirders, the chorus is totally wacky, and appears with literally zero fanfare. Ack! I honestly can't even tell you how much I adore this song. It may be the best song I've ever heard. Trent even namedrops 'Down In It', which this song is like a vastly superior evolution of. The great news is that not only is this the next single, but Trent's also releasing the sound files for this one, so I'm gonna be doing a remix...the greatest remix you've ever heard! In fact, I'm beginning to think that's the reason I was born...
Getting Smaller - is a pretty decent hard rock track which sort of oddly reminds me of the D4- storming drums, big riffs, thick bassline, and, oddly for this album, no synths. It's a pretty straightforward track, but it's actually pretty good- I can totally rock out to it. You can definitely hear Dave Grohl's drumming in this one, and he's giving it his all.
Sunspots - This is actually one of my favourite tracks as well. It's a quiet, simple song, but I find it quite touching and powerful. "My life, it seems has taken a turn- why in the name of God would I ever want to return?" That's quite the positive confession for those of us who'vce been following NIN's emotinoal ups and downs over the years. This may be the most positive, uplifting song NIN has produced.
The Line Begins to Blur - Now, due to an odd audio decision on Trent's part, I actually find this track a little bit difficult to listen to. One of the drum beats is this incredibly harsh staticy noise that really grates! The song reaches great heights deeper into the track, but until my ear manages to get over that dissonance, I'll have to reserve judgement on this one.
Beside You in Time - Along with All the Love in the World, this song comes the closest to capturing what I spoke of in the opening of this review- the sense that you're hearing something new, something you can't hear anywhere else, something that actually pushes music to somehwere it hasn't been before. BYIT takes a pulsing, hypnotic beat that is more than a beat. It's a noise, a soundwave that carries you forward. Close your eyes and you can see things, places that don't exist but belong purely to this song. This is what I want from my NIN, to not just hear music, but experience it, have it interact with me and my imagination in a way no other medium can even approximate. Awesome song, which blurs perfectly into:
Right Where it Belongs - This is a quiet, beautiful ballad that caps the album wonderfully. It's not nearly as sad or as epic as 'hurt', but it's thoughtful, and ties together theme that runs through each and every other song on the album, the idea that we create our own realities around us, and can't necessarily trust what we think to be real. This idea plays in almost every track, and comes together here, quietly, and beautifully. (enigmatically, the sound of a concert-crowd overwhelms the song near the end- the effect, is both bizarre and pleasing) A great closer, and a good song (although it kind of doesn't work without BYiT, interestingly).
There was also a bonus track, which I ain't gonna comment on, because bonus tracks should not be included at the END of the CD. They totally disrupt the album. You've just come in to your post-album glow, and BOOM! There's another song. You're messing with my glow, dude. Put the bonus tracks on another CD, or like, on a single, where they belong. I don't need them here. I have my album. You've screwed it.
Good Lord, you didn't READ all that, did you? Jaysus. Alright listen up, one of my friends, let's call him, ah, 'Adrian', has illegally downloaded this album without paying for it. This means Trent is lacking vital world-dominating funds. I'm going to redress the balance by buying a second copy and giving it away. To support Trent, you understand. If this review has left your slavering at the bit for NIN-fun, comment now! You'll be the lucky winner! Free shit! I just give it away! I've lost my mind on NIN goodness!
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This is a 
I said I would have bought the album if I thought it was worth buying, and as of yet, I don't think the album is worth buying. Like I said before it doesn't stack up for me.
Maybe thats my problem with NIN, everything for me is "not as good as The Downward Spiral". Still given your review I will listen to it a few more times. If it's good enough to buy I will.
OK I have listened to this a few more times and it is growing on me.
But the title track chorus "A-with-a-teeth-ah" is really fucking annoying.
Yeah, I'm not sure what he was trying to do there, be Italian or something? However, the synth during the piano breakdown is one of the more beautiful and haunting noises I've ever heard.
Very well written review man - I confess that I am a partial NIN fan - songs of his that I get, I really feel and love - but those that I don't seem to hit a nerve, so I guess I like Cherry Picking the ones that appeal to me. From your review it's all the easier to decide where to start.
Glad you liked it! I think you might really like some of the mixes that are out there for The Hand That Feeds- some really creative ones. I've got a few uploaded here and there's a really dance-music kind of one on the radio show here. Check `em out!