Slowcore pioneers
Codeine
had a brief but incredibly important first act, helping to define an entire sector of unhurried, melancholic indie rock with the two full-length albums and single EP they made between 1990 and 1994.
What About the Lonely?
is a live snapshot of the band recorded during a stop through Chicago on a 1993 tour when they were opening for
Mazzy Star
. More than half of the eight-song set consists of material from the band's as-of-then-unreleased 1994 album,
The White Birch
, and there's an angsty, subtly explosive quality to these live versions that doesn't come through in the subdued feel of the studio versions. The palpable tension in the playing could possibly reflect a slightly contentious relationship with that night's audience. Though
is in fine form, crowd noise between songs paints the picture of a tiny club full of distracted or disinterested concertgoers waiting through the opener for the main attraction. Despite the lukewarm reception from the audience, the band gives it their all, with songs like "Ides" and "Jr." erupting in slow motion, and the even more protracted "Loss Leader" swaying sadly, like a lonely tree in the wind. Songwriter/vocalist/bassist
Stephen Immerwahr
and guitarist
John Engle
were joined at this point by drummer
Doug Scharin
after original drummer
Chris Brokaw
left the band to focus on his other group,
Come
, and for two songs ("Tom" and "Wird"), the trio is joined by
Gastr del Sol
's
David Grubbs
on second guitar. Though there aren't huge differences between these live versions and their studio counterparts, there's a clearer view of some of the tension and intensity that played a big part in
's sound but was often obscured by the languid pace of their music. Even the seemingly under-impressed crowd adds to the time-capsule feel of the album, one that finds a quietly important band at the dour height of their powers. ~ Fred Thomas