Braid - “Urbana’s Too Dark” from Frame and Canvas
The internet was buzzing a few days ago about a new Braid LP on the horizon. Speaking as a long time Braid fan and without trying to sound too negative, I’m not too excited about it really. I’ve been lucky enough to see or have the opportunity to see a lot of reformed versions of my favorite bands in the past few years, but a large part of me thinks the past should simply be the past. For instance, I love Pavement, I never got to see them when I was younger and I was really excited to hear about their tour. In the end, I skipped the show because I’d rather have my memories and keep them the way they are in my mind then watch them play at Pritzker Pavillion with 25,000 Generation Xers looking to relieve the 90’s. Braid were great on their 2004 reunion tour and I’ll probably go see them if they play some shows which sounds sort of hypocritical, but the latter half of post-Braid material is very questionable and makes me very suspicious about the quality of a new Braid record. The last records from Firebird Band, Hey Mercedes, and City on Film were real death rattles indicative of bands that needed to break up. I also just think it will be hard to top or even come near Frame and Canvas. It is undeniably the band’s crowning achievement - 12 fantastic songs in about 40 minutes. It sounds great, there is no filler, and it’s mature without losing the sense of nervous, start-stop urgency that was so prominent in their early 7” songs. “Urbana’s Too Dark” has always been a favorite of mine for two reasons - some of the drum parts on this song are so unbelievable and because it reminds me of the fall after I graduated high school. I listened to this record constantly and always associate Braid with that time of my life. So, we’ll see how the new record turns out, but even if it’s a dud they left behind some genre essential material that holds up better than most.
