Silver Jews never got the attention they deserved. Perhaps that is due to their sound differing drastically from that of most of the 90's alt-rock scene, a scene that their sister-band Pavement thrived in. For those of you who are unaware, Silver Jews was founded in 1989 by David Berman, Stephen Malkmus, and Bob Nastanovich. Nastanovich and Malkmus went on to form Pavement and Silver Jews was left as Berman's baby. And the band, for better or worse, was a showcase for the lead singer/songwriter's eccentricities. The band never toured (until 2005) and they released a string of iconoclastic albums focused around Berman's immeasurable lyricism. Often overlooked, Silver Jews created some fantastic music and Berman has become an acclaimed, often mythicized, poet.
American Water is their finest hour (48 minutes actually). Not one of the 12 songs could be called filler and each one serves its purpose on the album. It seems as though every element fell into place. Berman was not only at his peak of lyricism but also at his apex as a band leader. Stephen Malkmus sits on lead guitar and does some of the best playing he has done in his entire career. Mike Fellows (of Royal Trux) plays a bluesy relaxed bass. And Chris Stroffolino plays keyboard and trumpet to liven up the mix.
The album was recorded in the famed Rare Book Room, famous for capturing the warm texture of sound of a live performance. And while listening to the album it's hard not to picture the band sitting around jamming loosely while drinking beers and watching a muted television. That isn't to say this album lacks any instrumental flare - Quite the contrary, in fact. Malkmus buzzes off a storm of guitars as Berman slowly plucks in a more traditional roots rock structure on Blue Arrangements. And The Wild Kindness uses Stroffolino's keyboard and trumpet quite liberally.
All of that comes into an album with a rich and comforting atmosphere that could be likened to driving down a midwest highway. I see all the roads Berman has been down and all that I have and will go down. The roads are ever changing yet American Water knows what that will always look like. The album feels truly timeless in a way few do. Perhaps that is due to Stephen Malkmus and Berman often singing together, creating a universal aura to the often hyper-personal songs Berman writes (the downfall of The Natural Bridge, Silver Jews' previous album).
What it all comes down to is Berman's lyrics, though. And his work is absolutely stunning on this album, the kind of stuff that bridges the gap between his more straightforward personal works and his surrealistic works.With American Water Berman takes on the U.S. of A. and leaves us a portrait of shitty diners, dark alleys, nights spent laying on grass, and roads that might take you to where you have always belonged. This album is filled with some of his deepest and most approachable works. And with Berman's lazily wry delivery he can turn lyrics like this into something that not only seems coherent but familiar:
"Nobody cares about a dead hooker
Looking like one, standing for money
Life finds a limit at the edge of our bodies
A stranger begins wherever I see her.
Let's live where the indoors and outdoors meet
All the kids in the commonwealth are free.
Every morning you forgive me, every evening you relive me
And the pattern itself is what you give me
(the morning has cut a deal with the east)."
The album ranges in styles from pop (People) to country (Honk If You're lonely) to folk (Random Rules) and more pavement like rock (Night Society). But it refuses to be defined by the some of it's parts. American Water is a collection of great songs but together it builds an atmosphere that is something monumental, despite it being fairly basic musically. I guess sometimes an album can't be perfectly explained and it must be experienced. And this one is begging to be experienced. Next time you are cruising down a rural highway put this album on and it might just describe what you are seeing. Or just lay back in bed and let it sweep you away into its world. This album is filled with a lifetime of beauty and experience and it deserves to be listened to.
Since 1998 the Silver Jews have toured Israel, Berman has tried to kill himself, he has renewed his faith in Judaism, and he has retired from music. The Silver Jews are now defunct and I am betting it will be for good. We still have American Water, though, to remind us of the beauty of the American highway even with all its faults. Much like the country it represents, American Water isn't perfect, but in my experience it is the little imperfections that make something genuinely magnificent. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that. And for that I am glad we still have American Water, and I'm glad we always will.
-SP McDonald
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