Shit Cedric Bixler-Zavala says (At The Drive-In - Vaya)

At The Drive-In’s story is the mulch of a well tended indie garden. Formed in 1993, the band spent nearly ten years in the woods perfecting their post-hardcore sound, hopping between indie labels, until “Relationship of Command” came out in 2000. It may have been ten years of touring, or the pressure of fame, or the fact that Cedric Bixler-Zavala could finally afford all those drugs, but within a few months of “Relationship Of Command’s” release the band went on indefinite hiatus. Cedric Bixler-Zavala subsequently took all the blame upon himself, noting that the band was holding him back. Which is kind of like saying "Its my fault baby, I just think you're too damn ugly." In the aftermath of the breakup the mass of the band reformed as the painfully mediocre Sparta, while The Talent, in the form of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López (what’s with all the hyphens? Are hyphens like an STD now?), formed the pretentious, but occasionally brilliant The Mars Volta.

This spectacular self-destruction contains some key lessons, primarily that Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a hugely pretentious ass-hat and one should generally avoid getting addicted to acid if one can help it. Reading the Wikipedia pages relating to this story kind of makes me want to punch the guy in the face. The man plays post-hardcore (if you are being generous, screamo if you are not), and threw a hissy-fit when fans started moshing at a concert. While moshing was somewhat out of control during this period, screaming "You're a robot, you're a sheep!" at an Australian audience, and then bleating repeatedly, was probably, uh, ill advised. The man has also expressed annoyance at people who smoke, which makes me wonder if he was high on all the acid at the same time. Not that I think smoking in public is awesome, but sulky drug addicts are not generally appropriate vehicles for the delivery of messages on the dangers of substances to oneself and others when those substances led to multiple friend’s deaths and the scuttling of one’s own career.

So Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a dick, and that can kind of act as a brick to my ability to appreciate his music. Like I don’t care if artists are good or bad people if they make good music, but given that Cedric Bixler-Zavala turned out to be such a pretentious dick about every goddamn thing in his life, it makes me a bit more critical of the music. Am I really enjoying it? Is it fun? Does it make me want to smack this guy with a 2X4? Cedric Bixler-Zavala has, in particular, been ridiculed for using obscure imagery to hide his lack of writing ability. It’s a legitimate complaint. Given the political nature of Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s songs I kind of wish Cedric Bixler-Zavala was a bit clearer about what it is that Cedric Bixler-Zavala dislikes so much THIS WEEK, so that I might decide if I agree with Cedric Bixler-Zavala, or at least Wikipedia it. On the other hand, imagery is a completely legitimate poetic tool and if Cedric Bixler-Zavala wants to make it so no one will ever know which Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s cause is I’m not gonna argue. That’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s choice. And, really, I have to say, I actually love Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s lyrics.

They are delivered with great energy and power, at a good, staccato tempo. The imagery flows and even if you don’t know what it means, as a lifelong devotee of Attention Deficit Disorder I appreciate the courtesy in satisfying my limited attention span in a quick succession of images. It is also important to me that Cedric Bixler-Zavala at least tries to address political issues. The flip-side of the coin is that, like many political artworks, it is a fine line between addressing the issue with appropriate gravity, coming off as stubborn duckweed, and then just looking ridiculous, but I think Cedric Bixler-Zavala does a pretty good job.

“Vaya,” the album under discussion, is very similar stylistically to “Relationship of Command,” but is a bit less lush. In general the band is very musically talented, with the rhythm section being particularly talented. On this record you get the feeling that they purposefully tone down the energy of their performances to contrast with the vocals of Cedric Bixler-Zavala, which is a really nice touch. On “Relationship of Command” they do not hold back as much, and I also like that. That album is pretty insane. This one is also insane, but more lo-fi insane. More Charles Manson than Charles Taylor…or is it the other way around?

Anyway, if the term “Post-Hardcore” is appealing to you, you might like the album. It might be a bit easier to take for a first timer to At The Drive In than “Relationship of Command,” but maybe not. If you are looking for more like “Relationship” this is definitely a good buy, though it is definitely a distinct work.The musical performances are top notch and nuanced, and blend well the imagery-rich, politically charged lyrics. Its a keeper.