Jason Loewenstein - At Sixes and Sevens (Sub Pop, 2002)

Jason Loewenstein
At Sixes and Sevens
Sub Pop
2002

Rating: 5.5 cupcake parties out of 10

Jason Loewenstein , a.k.a. "That other dude from Sebadoh", has recorded his first solo album. He had previously released some singles and compilation tracks under the name Sparkalepsy, but this is first go around under his own moniker. And when I say recorded, I don’t just mean he got a bunch of guys to help him out with some songs he had written; no, he played every instrument, sang the songs, produced, engineered, and even did the cover art for the album. So when he decides he’s doing a solo album, he ain’t fucking around. And while this particular tactic is admirable and I can appreciate the talent it takes, it also gives the album a real feeling of sameness, where many of the songs sound similar to each other, the tone and mood of the album never really changes, and the whole thing comes off as very homogenized. Then again, that could have been what he was going for, and it could be what you like. For me, I like it fine in short bursts, but taking on the entire album at once may be a bit much to handle.

The music is essentially what you would expect to hear - it sounds like Sebadoh. In particular, the more rocking Sebadoh bits that Loewenstein had a large hand in crafting. One thing that it is missing is that traditional lo-fi feel that made that music feel so warm and comfy, like hanging out with a good friend. Because of this clean sound, some of the tracks come off sounding like some weird hybrid of the Foo Fighters and the Sebadoh of old. After hearing this record and Lou Barlow’s solo stuff, it’s pretty obvious who was bringing what to the table when it came to writing Sebadoh songs.

It’s hard not to compare this to Sebadoh when listening to it. And while it’s not nearly as good as what I always felt was their hey-day (Bubble & Scrape, Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock, III, and Bakesale), it sounds a lot better than the last couple of albums they put out before they went on hiatus or broke up or whatever state it is that they’re in; and if you’re really hankering for a Sebadoh fix, this may just be the next best thing, and a fairly enjoyable one at that.