Lindsay Anderson
Issue #33
If (Minty Fresh)
By Rebekah Meek
Published: September 1st, 2007 | 12:00am
Lindsay Anderson may be a first-rate collaborator, but her solo debut, If, is just fine and not much more. It’s yet another example of how overproduction can turn a potentially vibrant recording into a deadpan echo chamber. On each track, a drum line, a melody, or a lyric sounds familiar, but can’t exactly be placed. It’s like déjà vu without remembering the original event.
That said, the record is calming and sweet. At times, Anderson’s voice hints at Mary Timony or even Luscious Jackson. “Here and Now” is the album’s most memorable track with its syncopated piano accompanied by an accented splash of drums and fragmented lyrics. “Secrets” starts off with an upbeat snare drum scat that immediately draws you in. The title track, however, is lacking that hook, starting out with a full minute and a half of ambient sound before a tepid melody enters accompanied by fluttering cymbals and a meandering piano. Each beat is also predictable and the vocals are over processed. It’s perfect, but unremarkable. But then again, maybe that’s the point.
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