Archers of Loaf Albums (5)
'Seconds Before the Accident'
Release Date 6/6/2000
Tracks 16
Label Alias
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What The Critics Say
Recorded live in 1998 at the regionally famous Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC, Seconds Before the Accident was released two years later, after Archers of Loaf disbanded. The set list is heavy on material from the band's amazing debut, Icky Mettle, and burns with a noise rock intensity that is more reminiscent of the group's early recordings than later works like White Trash Heroes. Things aren't quite as reckless as they were when Archers of Loaf first hit the indie circuit, but the high-impact numbers and spirited performances do justice to this legendary live act's massive reputation. Highlights include the Icky Mettle hit "Web in Front" and "Fabricoh" from their second studio full-length, Vee Vee. Fans of indie rock icons Pavement and Guided by Voices who haven't yet heard Archers of Loaf wouldn't be disappointed if they started their Archers collection with Seconds Before the Accident. Icky Mettle, however, is the lone must-own offering in the Archers of Loaf's oeuvre. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The final studio record from the Archers of Loaf is a far cry from their early days of fast, dirty, and unrelenting indie rock anthems, but it is also a phenomenally progressive album for the band as well as a fitting swansong. The opening, "Fashion Bleeds," is the closest the band comes to its days of yore, with a chugging drumbeat and vocalist Eric Bachman's strained vocals leading the way. The presence of a keyboard that soon starts to drift in sets the tone for the rest of the record, a dark and moody venture with some unexpected styles emanating from the group. They still get raucous and loud on occasion, but sometimes they mask it under a wave of distorted sounds or in the guise of a slowed-down dirge. The closing title track is also of note, in that its sinister keyboard and drum machine sounds, along with Bachmann's oddly throaty and melodic vocals, are exactly what the singer went on to do with his next group, Crooked Fingers. In fact, White Trash Heroes sounds more like a mix of the two groups than an actual Archers record, a fact that anyone familiar with the latter group will certainly realize to be a good thing. This is certainly not the simple and sloppy indie rock outfit that churned out short poppy hits in the mid-'90s, but the band clearly developed into something equally astounding and, with a few listens, the emotion and craftsmanship of these songs prove to be a truly impressive feat. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
'All the Nation's Airports'
Release Date 9/16/1996
Tracks 15
Label Alias
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What The Critics Say
This band's movement from small releases to major-label distribution turned out quite well -- like a lot of other brilliant pop bands, they managed to make their sound cleaner and more focused without compromising any of the quirks which made it interesting. It would be an oversight to talk about this album (or this band) without mentioning Pavement, Guided by Voices, and Sonic Youth -- All the Nation's Airports does a spectacular job of taking appealing melodies and hooks and slanting them into angular, off-kilter indie -- but Archers of Loaf have the skill and intelligence to never actually sound like the above-mentioned bands. ~ Nitsuh Abebe, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Icky Mettle, Archers of Loaf's debut album, became just enough of an underground hit to scare the band away from most of their pop instincts. Filled with unexpected, jarring shards of noise and melodies that never quite manage to be catchy, Vee Vee relies more on attitude and energy than their previous records. It's an approach that works -- for all their oblique song structures and overt noise, Archers of Loaf is a band that can rock hard. With the harder rhythms and jerky guitars, the group can usually obscure the elliptical hooks by just rocking out, which means the album is a bracing listen, yet not an engaging one. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ah, North Carolina. Can anyone explain why it's been such a hotbed of original-sounding music? Why every year there's a new crop from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill triangle? Sure, it has lots of colleges, but there's gotta be more to it. Never mind the silly band name and LP title, here's a two-guitar quartet that takes a normal starting point -- whirling, loud, harsh guitar pop with an unpredictable edge -- and adds a bawling, full-throated vocalist named Eric Bachmann, who himself sounds like he's been singing all night and his voice is a little sore (just enough to make him sound like he really means it). Or like Ric Ocasek singing his lungs out for a change, on top of a roaring, screaming loud band. Which means if they're on the same bill with Dillon Fence, DF is the polite, ringing hook band, while these guys are gonna jump-start the keg party. Music to sing to and bounce off the walls to at the same time, with all that Southern quirky dedication and sincerity and congeniality that make us love the place so much. ~ Jack Rabid, All Music Guide
