‘Hotel Last Resort’ is Violent Femmes’ 10th studio album since entering the American punk scene in the early ‘80s. It finds the Milwaukee group in nihilistic-yet-playful spirits, and is a taut, workable album of folk-punk that demonstrates their signature sound of irreverent and occasionally creative lo-fi music making.
Standout tracks include I’m Nothing; a reworking of the band’s 1994 song that skewers political division in favour of a sort-of folksy anarchism. This has been a stock in trade for a group that borrows more from the midwestern commercial gentility of Devo than the outright punk nihilism of the Anti-Nowhere League. They appear to have redeployed the song as a comment on the increasing political division in American society; perhaps offering gigs as safe spaces where prejudices are left at the door.
That said, both album closer, God Bless America and the elegiac Paris to Sleep appear to comment directly on nationhood and terrorism respectively.
Herein lies, perhaps, the dichotomy at the heart of Violent Femmes’ work. This is a punk band who seem to un-ironically run up the national colours. Combined with the fact that singer Gordon Gano has described himself as a ‘devout Baptist’, these factors stop the music from ever truly challenging the status quo.
The album’s title track is probably the most memorable; a lament by Gano on getting old. “I don’t change the chords any more,” he semi-croons. “The chords change by themselves.” The song, which features Television's Tom Verlaine, dances close to the folksy melancholia of the Decembrists or Okkervil River, while keeping things more lo-fi and acoustic.
Actually, much of ‘Hotel Last Resort’ (the album) recalls contemporary American alt-rockers Parquet Courts. This comparison is not necessarily complimentary to Violent Femmes: it reveals a relative lack of formal innovation and quality lyric writing from the band, despite the invention in Sleepin’ At The Meetin’ (a capella) and God Bless America (structural change).
It is certainly not a bad album, and longtime fans will be pleased that the band are still creating relatable music (the band reformed in 2013 after a hiatus of several years). But it pulls its punches. It’s punk easy listening, which many would argue is not really punk at all. So what is it?
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
