A Better Version of Me
(Polyvinyl Records)
The shamblingly dreamy tunes that dominate A Better Version of Me, Rainer Maria's latest offering, are amongst the band's finest output. Unfortunately, the Madison-born, New York-based trio is often unable to keep its lyrical content from being overly wrought in the manner generally reserved for the awkward musings of teen-age poetry notebooks.
Desiring to be the thinking man's emo outfit, Rainer Maria often trips over its own hyperextended ambition. Named for the turn-of-the-century Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, the group presents its ambition for all to see. Unfortunately, the primarily excellent collection of tunes found on A Better Version of Me are often undone by the needlessly pedantic lyrics they accompany.
On the disc's opening track, "Artificial Light," Caithlin De Marrais dumbly queries: "Why is this technology an anathema to me?" Intelligence in music is certainly to be celebrated, but stumbling word usage aimed at appearing clever deserves pity. The real shame is that, although the majority of the words Rainer Maria has turned in are befittingly mature, the poor selections appear at the most obtrusive moments.
A Better Version of Me finds the band occupying the indie-rockish corner of the emo spectrum. The included tunes swing from the forcefully plodding ("The Seven Sisters"), to the gorgeously tender ("Atropine") to the simply rocking ("Hell and High Water"). Paired with the off-kilter yelps of guitarist Kyle Fischer in "The Contents of Lincoln's Pockets"--an almost painfully literal track-- De Marrais acts superbly as the morose, yet sugary, front woman. Her voice is affecting like few others, alternately soaring and sneaking as the tunes demand.
While the music found on A Better Version of Me is, for the most part, masterful, the sung content often leaves the listener feeling cheated. If Rainer Maria is able to leave the self-indulgent lyrics of this disc behind, its next disc may really be one to grab.
--Brian Gettler