I'm a little dubious of the concept of "maturity" in making music. Usually it's nothing more than an admission that the album in question is less creative, less risky than those that have come before. R.E.M.'s
Automatic for the People is undoubtedly more "mature" than
Lifes Rich Pageant, but is it better? Is Nine Inch Nails'
Year Zero a better album than
The Downward Spiral just because its subject matter is more concerned with "important" subjects? Is Nick Cave's lugubrious
The Boatman's Call better than the gloriously ridiculous
Your Funeral...My Trial? I doubt it. This is all to say that it's almost a miracle when a more "mature" album manages to outdo its predecessors, and the Dismemberment Plan's
Change is one of those miracles. In his prime, Travis Morrison was one of the greatest lyricists on the planet Earth, and
Change is loaded with examples of his skill: "There will be times when you will not like the sound of my voice"; "I've watched the rich risk it all for 15 minutes in a Heathrow bathroom". It's not as universally-loved a record as
Emergency & I but it's a better one: while that album had a few too many filler-y punk rock tracks (because no matter how much I might love them, the Dismemberment Plan's primary skill is not "rocking") this one is just one brilliantly written and composed rock track after another. "Superpowers" is the most anthemic song they ever wrote, "Time Bomb" should have been a massive hit, and "The Other Side" is one of the best love songs written by anybody this decade. "Come Home" and "Following Through" are admittedly a little weak compared to the rest of the album, but overall this is this band's strongest statement.
MY RATING:
8.9
The Dismemberment Plan - "Superpowers"
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