Audio Quality: 3.75/5
Song Quality: 4.5/5
Packaging: 2/5
Ugh. I hate to do what I'm about to do, because I really don't think of myself as an indie snob, but in the interest of a comprehensive review, here I am about to do it anyway. Just don't judge me too severely. Ok? Ready? Here we go...
I've been a big fan of Kimya Dawson since way before the whole Juno craze. A big part of why I was excited for the release of Juno had to do with the fact that her music (not to mention her work with The Moldy Peaches) was so prominently featured.
I really liked Juno. Post-Juno, I've had a hard time loving Miss Dawson the same way I used to, mostly because of the fact that now she sells out Webster Hall and I no longer get to see her while sitting on the floor of an abandoned warehouse with 15 other people. I do realize how selfish this is,
and I am truly thrilled for Kimya that she has found such great success. She even won a Grammy recently. Amazing. However, as an old fan who stood outside of Sound Fix Records in the freezing cold for over an hour only to then be denied entry to her in-store appearance, I can't help but feel a little bitter. Sorry, Kimya.This album was recorded and released prior to all that business. Simpler times. It's also the album that contains most of her tracks featured in that aforementioned film. This makes sense, because it's her best album by a long shot. Though it's made up of the same simple guitar tunes featured on her previous records, Remember That I Love You stands out for it's terrifically catchy melodies and poignant, personal lyrics. Songs like "My Mom," "Caving In," "Underground," and "I Miss You" frankly discuss personal strife, including a dying mother, an unplanned pregnancy, estranged friendships, and an entire life being uprooted and relocated. Kimya's very modest and innocent-sounding vocals make these lyrics feel all the more genuine, and by the end of the record, you really do feel like you know more about this woman's personal affairs than you probably should. At that abandoned warehouse show I mentioned earlier (I feel like I use the term "aforementioned" too often), I saw her perform the song "My Mom" approximately a year before this record was released. Once I finally got the album and that song started, I instantly remembered the melody and most of the words to the pre-chorus and chorus. To remember something that vividly after one listen a year prior is a sign of music that is able to leave an indelible impression... a rare feat, indeed. Despite how somber the subject matter sounds, this record has some very joyful moments in the anthemic "Loose Lips," the wonderfully frantic "I Like Giants," and the celebratory "My Rollercoaster," which ends the record on the optimistic side of things, and you can lift the needle knowing as bad as things get, there's still so much to feel good about. It's a very solid collection of tunes... the only one I'm not wild about would be "France," which drags a bit and is mostly just skippable. Otherwise, it's pretty great from start to finish.
Though the production has definitely been stepped up from her early days, this record is still a pretty lo-fi outing. I don't have any information on how this record was made or mixed, unfortunately, but I can tell you that the vinyl sound is pretty nice. Kimya's guitar playing is often very percussive, and you can hear that very nicely on the record. It's also very well spread out across the stereo field. The songs that feature bells ("My Mom," "I Like Giants") have them dancing around the stereo image, well above the vocal and guitar, which sounds really cool. I don't have a lot to say about this record, sound-wise. It was definitely mixed for vinyl, and like the Ween vinyl I reviewed a couple weeks ago, though it wasn't a hi-fi recording in the first place, the warmth and rawness of the vinyl sound makes you feel like it was meant to be heard in this format. Having said that, if you already bought the CD I wouldn't recommend running out to re-buy it on vinyl. It's just not THAT much better. If you don't own it yet, the vinyl is worth your money, though it unfortunately does not come with a digital version.
Yes, packaging. Super minimal, and as I indicated, it doesn't include a download, which for this sort of record is unacceptable, as far as I'm concerned. The vinyl is in a generic white paper sleeve in a slipcase package. Nothing else to discuss. Kind of a shame, but the record is pretty affordable, available for under $15, so you get what you pay for I suppose.
I don't hold it against Kimya Dawson that she's had some great success following Juno. She is very talented and I'm glad she found a medium to promote her unlikely music to a mainstream audience. What concerns me is that she has yet to make the proper follow-up to this record (she released an album of children's music entitled Alphabutt last year, but I don't count that), and I hope she is able to live up to the high standards she set with this release.
Buy the LP from K Records
Buy the LP from Amazon.com
Girls Girls Girls! Tomorrow: She & Him - Volume 1
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