It's difficult to put into words how good the new Ted Leo and the Pharmacists album is. I've tried a number of different attempts, this being my fourth or fifth, and each time I felt as if my feeble words just couldn't do the album justice. But Hearts of Oak is so wonderful, I can't just keep it to myself. So here goes another.

I'm certainly not the first person to be giddy about a Ted Leo album. Countless magazines have ranted and raved over his last full-length, 2001's splendid The Tyranny of Distance. But the general consensus was the production was too lo-fi for an album of that magnitude. It worked for Pavement, and we certainly couldn't imagine a hi-fi Neutral Milk Hotel album. But Ted and Co. aren't merely interested in navel-gazing indie aesthetics, they're out to make the next great rock 'n' roll album.

Hearts of Oak, TLRX's third, has all the trademark Clash and Thin Lizzy-isms that made Tyranny so great, only enhanced by a slightly more ample recording budget. "Building Skyscrapers in the Basement" begins the album with some melancholy mysticism, pulling the listener in before tempting him with the first single, "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" "Rude Boys" is easily a contender for song of the year. From the Thin Lizzy-style riffage to the breathtaking, densely layered coda, it's the best song Ted's written to date. And it name drops the Specials, to boot. "I'm A Ghost," "The High Party" and the title track are three more slices of mod-pop fun, combining intensely catchy melodies with social commentary about the unfortunate coincidence of having one's birthday on 9/11 (Ted's actual birthday), and empowerment of female musicians in a male-dominated DIY scene.

"Ballad of the Sin Eater" is one of TLRX's most ambitious songs, with Ted spitting lyrics about a soul-searching American tourist over a single, repetitive bassline and copious amounts of hand percussion. It is on this song that we see Ted use his lyrical prowess to the best of his abilities, spewing couplets like "When I woke up all beaten and bloody/I couldn't tell if it was Jersey or Sierra Leone!" before returning to the disturbingly infectious refrain, "You didn't think they could hate you now, did ya!"

There's nary a track to be skipped on Hearts, which is impressive considering the 50+ minute running time. Each song unveils a new side to Ted's songwriting, from the straightforward two-chord jangle of "Bridges, Squares" to the whistling solo (!) of album closer "The Crane Takes Flight." I still don't think this review truly captures the mad skills displayed on Hearts, but there's only so much you can say before finally resorting to "aww...man, you just gotta hear it."

But you really do.

Similar Albums:
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
The Clash - London Calling
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak

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Jeff Terich
11.20.2003