Thirteen is a healthy quantity of tracks in a music world that under-emphasizes the LP in general.  Whenever I pick up an album I first take a look at its length.  Typically, a 13-track album is bound to be laced with plenty of filler.  Several tracks will rise to the top while others are skip-worthy.  Perhaps its the inundation of our culture with the need for speedy access of information that the process of digesting a lengthy album in its entirety becomes laborious.  We process information so quickly now that the music genre is experiencing what the literature arena has been grappling with for quite awhile now.  The patience to sit and enjoy a full album critically is not the norm, much like schoolboys turn toward their books with heavy looks.  Maybe that’s been that way since the English Renaissance, or something.  In any case, we’re loving all thirteen tracks of Thao With The Get Down Stay Down’s newest release, Know Better Learn Faster.  Filler isn’t an option for Nguyen and her San Francisco quartet.  At times, tracks drop as smooth as butter, Nguyen’s creamy vocal delivery both lulling yet posting aural landmines at the same time.  The entire album is familiar and unpredictable, tense while calming, and raucous yet gentle.  This release is fabulous, and the canvas of sound begins with Nguyen’s voice and weaves through excellent accompanying musicianship, leaving listeners diving for the repeat button.

Consistency is hugely important to this album, but not in the way we typically expect.  The consistent nature of Nguyen’s voice and the complete consitency of inconsistence with percussion are the nails that hold this ship tightly together.  The 33 second opener, “The Clap,” is nearly a church hymnal, complete with handclap percussion, setting the overall uplifting tone of the album.  For the next twelve tracks, the tone rarely shifts, and this is largely due to the vocal delivery.  Nguyen’s falsetto voice borders on nonchalance, but can also veer into tensely emotional bombast.  “Goodbye Good Luck” is a track buried way down in the playlist that surgs forward to exhibit this point.  It”s largely urgent, and more emphsis is placed on guitars.  This anthemic track is sure for repeat listens, and even though the violent nature of the chorus stands front and center, Nguyen’s vocals still manage to comfort in the most vivid way.  Despite consistently delivered ambience, it’s achieved through differing sounds.  In “The Give,” a more southern-fried approach begins the track and blends into a killer singular-note chorus.  A sound that’s poppy but smooth as coffee unfolds.  The energy and attitude rises in intensity and woodblocks, synths and strings punch into this otherwise simple and pastoral song.  Essentially, the only things that are constant and predictable are the songs centers, i.e. Nguyen’s vocal delivery and the interesting juxtaposition of energy and mellow.  Otherwise, all bets are off, and this unpredictability is what makes the entire album worthwhile.

The instrumentation is excellent throughout the album as well.  All band members manage to fuse wickedly angular and experimental noise-making into tracks that pop off as insanely catchy and melodic.   ”Cool Yourself” begins with super clean lines on the guitar and jangly riffs pair with saxophone flourish into a sweet bubble-gummy wad of sound.  Pianos, crashing cymbals, and vocal ooohs and ahhs create a chilled 50′s vibe and signify complexity despite the different assaults all of the instruments make in unison.  It’s simple to hone in on Nguyen’s voice, but this ignores the wild and playful musicianship at work behind it all.

Thao With The Get Down Stay Down has gained momentum with each respective release, and this should continue to rise with this release.  What orginally began as a solo career has now moved into full-blown riotous pop candy.  There’s just the right dash of unexpected attitude on this record, and depending on listener preference, there’s a lot to go around for everyone.  All thirteen tracks require attention, and with each subsequent listen, I find myself falling deeper into the album’s sound and feel.  Enjoy the title track below, “Know Better Learn Faster,” and do yourself a favor and pick this one up.  Sit back, and let the swirling sounds melt your stress away.

Thao With The Get Down Stay Down – Know Better Learn Faster