This is one of my favorite bands of all time. They are on Tomlab and make sweet, cute understated pop, like music your secret admirer might make if ze had a laptop and lived in Hell’s Kitchen. When Pitchfork reviewed it a few months (year?) ago, they gave it a 5.something and I was kinda pissed because for me, this album is one of the most incredible pop albums of the last few years. His reasoning was also stupid (at the time), so I decided to email and express my discontent. And he responded! Here’s my email:
Hi Mr. Richardson. I am writing to express my personal discontent with your review of Misha’s new record, Teardrop Sweetheart. I guess I should start off by saying that I have nothing to do with the band, I don’t know them at all (though I would like too) and have no affiliation with the label (is it Tomlab? I don’t know). I think your review was hasty, the grade was inappropriate in context of the review, and that for all Pitchfork’s “gratuitously in-depth” renown, this just didn’t fit.
First off, you spend the entire first paragraph, practically a third of the review, on one song and how much you liked it last year. I myself did not hear of that song, or this album, until July, maybe August of this year, and while I will admit that I liked Summersend, I also downloaded two other songs from the album at the same time (Weatherbees and Cruelist Heart). I got the three tracks for free from Spacelab Radio, another “indie” review website. Perhaps because I had fewer preconceived notions and expectations for this band and album, my take on the release was much more favorable; however, I also liked the tracks a great deal, and ended up liking the album as much, or even more, especially seeing the tracks in context of the entire record.
Your review has many Pitchfork-esque cliches, such as “1980s-curious laptop-pop bands,” once again completely covering an entire sub genre that this band doesn’t belong to, and arbitrarily labeling them as such, something no one else has quite as clear a definition of but yourself, which gives you a sense of superiority. I especially find it interesting how you seem to think that “referenc[ing] vintage synths rather than replicating them” is a negative rather than a positive; I personally appreciate bands who borrow ideas from others, but don’t copy style and method completely, because that way music evolves. I guess we disagree. The “clipped melodies,” similar to the “quick-cut processing” of the vocals, is a staple on this album, and can be compared to the rapid transition from “joy and heartbreak of new love,” a connection I guess you didn’t notice. Most of the rest of your characterizations, such as “accomplished but underwhelming comfort zone” also seem to reference this awkward limbo of new love, something I’m sure they deliberately aimed for, which you seemed to miss completely and treated as an unfortunate quality, rather than the genius I heard.
Finally, your last paragraph is sadly off-base, at least in my mind. I agree completely when you say that “the most interesting moments on Teardrop Sweetheart come when they try something that doesn’t quite seem to fit their aesthetic,” but you never really defined what you consider their aesthetic to be (in the context of the album), unless you just want me to take your first impression of Summersend as their entire aesthetic, in which case it doesn’t really make sense to judge a band by one song, so I would disagree with you there. In fact, I would say that them not really fitting their aesthetic is in fact their aesthetic; on this record, they appeal to whatever the listener might want them to be, and are always slightly off-kilter, just like the new-found love the album is in reference to. That’s why the song Anaconda is so brilliant, it’s about a first sexual experience with a new partner! Your judgment that it is “satisfying to hear Misha trying for a more direct emotional connection in light of the breezy but less memorable material that makes up for the bulk of the record” is once again a misplaced negative. That breezy, less memorable material is the stuff of new relationships, the thindgs most people remember and miss are at the end or the middle, living parallel to someone, breaking up with someone, not the giddy stuff of the beginning.
I would say that Summersend, what you were looking for, was that sweet-spot of a new relationship that most people do yearn for, but the rest of the album was the context in which you find it; some of it is awkward and off-kilter, and some of it is equally gorgeous in its own way. I think that, while this may not have been a concept album, if you spend two months with it in your car at the end of summer into mid-autumn, maybe then you will see how truly perfect it is.
Sincerely,
Alex
ps: i normally do like your reviews (especially), and Pitchfork’s in general. this was just one album where I would think that we would see eye-to-eye, and I guess I was wrong. seriously, though, just listen to it for a month or so, and you’ll get it. a lot of my friends didn’t either, but i think there is something really special there. Also, 5.8? the review did NOT sound like a 5.8. Maybe a 6.4 at least.
And his reply:
Hey Alex,
Thanks a lot for the thoughtful note. I wish I could respond in as much detail, but unfortunately I cannot. But I enjoyed reading your take on the record, in addition to the ways your perception differs from mine. It is possible that my enjoyment of “Summersend” colored my perception, I agree, though I do think it is far and away the best song on the album. I was sort of soft w/ the laptop pop comparison - I do think it is a reasonable one! — but I understand your point, and some of these things, which you say are negatives, I did not mean that way. As far as the rating, a 5.8 means that it is a pretty good album, just a hair under 3 stars. But, again, thanks for this, it is nice to get the feedback and you made your points well. Thanks also for reading!
best,
Mark
Basically, this is the sweetest and smoothest electronic pop album you’ll hear in a while, so you should get it while it’s up (it’ll come down soon). I think that, if it’s got a concept, it’s about understated, unrequited love that is awkward and neither partner is ready for, but they’re ready to explore. It’s about making mistakes for good, not bad. I could write a million different reviews about it, analyzing it, but I thought the letter would suffice. Enjoy!
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