Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Some Velvet Mixtape: 2019 In Reverb, Delay, Distortion & Drone #1 about 7 hours ago
  • James Yorkston - The Route to the Harmonium 1 day ago
  • Teeth of the Sea - Wraith 2 days ago
  • Yann Tiersen - ALL 7 days ago
  • DiScover: IYEARA 7 days ago
  • Two’s Company: Asta Bria & John Metcalfe @ The Playground Theatre 7 days ago
  • Methyl Ethel - Triage 8 days ago
  • “Music as a personal outlet really isn’t all that interesting”: DiS Meets Lewsberg 9 days ago
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

The Airborne Toxic Event

The Airborne Toxic Event

Label: Release Date: 02/02/2009

44652
domgourlay by Dom Gourlay January 29th, 2009

For a band who've yet to release their first long player in the UK, The Airborne Toxic Event have already stirred up a hornet's nest on both sides of the Atlantic. Due in no small part to a somewhat harsh review on Pitchfork some six months previous (and the band's subsequent written rebuttal), those sat on the fence beforehand quickly forming two orderly queues on both sides of it to either defend the band's honour vehemently or stick the boot in vigorously like rabid foxes on the prowl.

But let's not dwell too much on something as subjective as one man's opinion; we'd much prefer to concentrate on the origins of The Airborne Toxic Event and in particular this collection of songs, because make no mistake about it, every single one tells its own story. Main songwriter and mouthpiece Mikel Jollett's narratives of love, loss and betrayal might seem a little intense to begin with, but delve into his past and there's no shortage of demons waiting to be exorcised. The tragic circumstances surrounding both his parents' terminal illness providing a source of therapeutic inspiration, Jollett has discovered his muse through the unlikely vein of solace, and in the process created a quite startling opening document with The Airborne Toxic Event.

Having cut their teeth on the Silver Lake circuit of LA's vibrant live scene, The Airborne Toxic Event's novel way of attaining recognition - passing a demo on to leading radio station KROQ whilst still unsigned and largely unheard of outside their own backyard - should at least give hope to many struggling bands around the globe that the power of word of mouth still exists. Certainly any accusations of industry hype, strategic market placement or manufactured plagiarism are well off the mark here.

Instead, The Airborne Toxic Event prove themselves an able five-headed beast of eclectic wares forcing Jollett's largely downbeat words to come to life in an almost exorbitant manner. Even at its most desolate, such as on closing epic 'Innocence' where Jollett implores "I could die, I just don't care", 'The Airborne Toxic Event' turns the most solemn of wakes into a glorious fanfare not a million miles from The Arcade Fire's 'Wake Up' in structure, if slightly more obtuse by way of execution.

Of course The Arcade Fire are just one point of reference here, largely, it must be said, down to Anna Bulbrook's exquisite violin interludes that punctuate the whole record at its most delicate hours of need (see the poised intro to 'Sometime Around Midnight' or 'Wishing Well' and its anthemic crescendo). Jollett's vocal stylings undoubtedly forge a three-way coalition of early Springsteen, pre-Live Aid Bono and the deft pronunciations of Matt Berninger. The musical arrangements themselves though don't follow any particular pattern or genre at any point, meaning the record is still full of surprises even after the umpteenth listen of the day (and believe me, I've been there).

Across its ten tracks, The Airborne Toxic Event possesses a raw intensity that defines the band's sound, something which is even more evident in their live shows, and even when the subject matter is slightly less disparate as on the penultimate 'Missy', one can sense the raging sense of "If only" silently ebbing away from Jollett's grasp.

As debut albums go - and while compiling the record the band disposed of nearly thirty songs - this is a fine, upstanding introduction to the tormented world of The Airborne Toxic Event and one that vivaciously whets the appetite in anticipation of what might come next.

  • 7
    Dom Gourlay's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Some Velvet Mixtape: 2019 In Reverb, Delay, Distortion & Drone #1


  • James Yorkston

    The Route to the Harmonium


  • Teeth of the Sea

    Wraith


  • Yann Tiersen

    ALL


  • DiScover: IYEARA


  • Two’s Company: Asta Bria & John Metcalfe @ The Playground Theatre



Left-arrow

Fall Out Boy

Folie À Deux

Mobback
44623
44689

Bruce Springsteen

Working On A Dream

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    Column


    Some Velvet Mixtape: 2019 In Reverb, Delay, Dis...

  • 106050
  • review


    James Yorkston - The Route to the Harmonium

  • 106055

    review


    Teeth of the Sea - Wraith

  • 106054
  • review


    Yann Tiersen - ALL

  • 106053

    Interview


    DiScover: IYEARA

  • 106046
  • Live Review


    Two’s Company: Asta Bria & John Metcalfe @ ...

  • 106052

    review


    Methyl Ethel - Triage

  • 106051
  • Interview


    “Music as a personal outlet really isn’t all th...

  • 106049
MORE


    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • feature


    Carnivals of the Grotesque: Nick Cave on Dig, L...

  • 33717

    Interview


    Billy Corgan: "I have a problem with the way po...

  • 98775
  • Interview


    Travis: Album by Album with Fran Healy

  • 91230

    feature


    The Brian Jonestown Massacre: enraging Anton, u...

  • 93728
  • Column


    DiS Does Singles: Best of 2013 so far

  • 91154

    feature


    A Month in Records: August 2008

  • 33467
  • Interview


    DiS meets Joanna Gruesome: "Misogyny in music i...

  • 91610
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2019 DROWNED IN SOUND