Read Music/Speak Spanish - The Desaparecidos

Read Music/Speak Spanish

Desaparecidos
Saddle Creek Records.

SCQ Rating: 74%

Seeing as at least half of Bright Eyes fans caught on around the time of 2002’s Lifted, I feel secure that I’m one of many who paid little notice to Conor Oberst’s side project foray into punk. In all honesty, I bet I heard about the Desaparecidos brief stint but avoided it because (A) I hadn’t completely accustomed myself to Oberst’s off-key wail and (B) I don’t care much for punk. Although punk’s ethos can move social mountains and evolve into any given genre, its musical traits are a dead end; the kind of narrow-minded, go-pure-or-go-home bullshit that welcomes listeners by refusing them. Luckily the Desaparecidos are no truer to punk than the Get Up Kids and, despite its volume, is closer in spirit to heavy rock or early emo (when emo was still authentic). Those who enjoyed the crème of Bright Eyes teenage records – Letting Off the Happiness and Fevers and Mirrors – will find much to love in Read Music/Speak Spanish, a record that catches Oberst at his screaming, lyrically insolent best.

A semi-concept record about America’s blind consumerism and, specifically, the urbanization of Omaha, Read Music/Speak Spanish’s anti-establishment lyrics are pointed enough to make their case but generalized enough to avoid burdening the album with invasive social issues. These tunes sound like a great time and while their enthusiasm has a message, the Desaparecidos are careful not to let their preaching take the spotlight.

Passion in punk music is so often relegated to pessimism at social commentary or straight-out uber-cool nihilism that it’s obvious these songs were written by a heart-on-sleeve folk-singer. There’s simply too much melody and optimism to these heavy riffs and screams to believe otherwise. This half-hour is best summed up by 'Greater Omaha', a cathartic release of blue-collar shouts, dense chugging guitars and a soaring chorus where Oberst’s vocal chords shred “Just one more mouthful and they will be happy then”. It’s about how we take more than we need, how we’ll need later what we’re taking now. It’s about coming home after a long, monotonous work-week and turning the stereo up.

As much as I enjoyed Cassadaga, Read Music/Speak Spanish’s immediacy and vigor make an undeniable argument for a second Desaparecidos record. Until then, I strongly suggest all Conor Oberst fans to listen in.