Ida - Heart Like a River

The best albums almost always need a mix of tempo: upbeat and quick-tempered songs to go with slower balladry or downtrodden dirges. Radiohead’s OK Computer bounces “Electioneering” off of “Karma Police” and “No Surprises”. “With or Without You” is followed by the jagged blast of “Bullet the Blue Sky”, which is then calmed by “Running to Stand Still” on U2’s Joshua Tree. Even if an album lacks a fast song, something about the music needs to at least present the illusion of bloodied fingers and quickened hearts.

Plenty of bands work on either side of the tempo chasm, and Ida is one of those bands firmly entrenched on the slower side of songs. Heart Like a River hearkens Over the Rhine’s Good Dog Bad Dog and Mojave 3’s Excuses for Travelers in its opening strains, the pristinely beautiful “Laurel Blues”, and while “599” takes things up a notch, the albums stays docile throughout. Albums like these are great and all, but they tend to work best as musical memories, occasional moody listens rather than daily or monthly standouts. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed wrapping my ears around this album, but it’s hard to picture it being frequently played.

None of the albums songs are horrible, but “Late Blues” employs an annoying groove and “Sundown” fades out with the kind of chaotic guitar riff that works so well for Wilco, but which fails in Ida’s hands. “Honeyslide” is a nice tune with its see-sawed strings, but it sounds like a B-side from Hem’s Rabbit Songs, a great album in it’s own right. Elliott Smith’s influence echoes throughout.

With the exception of “What Can I Do?”, Heart Like a River drags a bit in it’s middle. The two closing tracks, “The Morning” and “Forgive” are each over 7 minutes long, but they end the album admirably. The album is worth having for “Laurel Blues” alone, and a few other tracks play nicely, but there also isn’t a lot that stands out. Heart Like a River is a step up from Mojave 3’s Excuses for Travelers, but not by much.

Heart Like a River, Ida: B-

Posted on April 1, 2006 12:00 AM