Aural Fixations

THE GREEN PAJAMAS
21st Century Seance
(Hidden Agenda)
THE GOBLIN MARKET
Haunted
(Camera Obscura)
The Green Pajamas may be obscure to everyone but the most fanatical psychedelic rock fans, but a new release from this Seattle aggregation is a genuine event around these parts. 21st Century Seance follows the usual pattern for a Green PJs record: leader Jeff Kelly dominates, while enabling important contributions from keyboardist Eric Lichter and guitarist Laura Weller. (Longtime bassist Joe Ross's rock solid presence is a given.) As usual, Kelly's literate, melodic tunes walk a fine line between delicate, Gothic acid folk and over-driven walls of psychedelic guitar. "Gazelle," "The Secret of Bethany's Mouth," the anthemic ballad "All the Lost Kisses" and the wall-vibrating "Like a Memory (Blue Eyes)" confidently reiterate what a truly world-class songwriter Kelly is; it's amazing that he's not mentioned in the same breath as Andy Partridge or Nick Saloman. Lichter is, as always, the lighter yang to Kelly's yin. Not that his subject matter is any less dark, but Lichter's more insistent pop sense and winsome voice make "Jenny V.," "Alibi" and "Chip Chop" perfect breaks in the clouds. Interestingly, only "True Lover," a magnificent Weller showcase based on an A.E. Houseman poem, overtly references a literary work; usually PJs albums cite several sources of inspiration. No matter. 21st Century Seance breaks no new ground for these Pacific Northwesterners; it's simply a strong collection of new Green Pajamas songs, and that's enough. [buy it]

Perhaps the reason for the dearth of book citations on 21st Century Seance is because Haunted, the latest album from Kelly and Weller's side project the Goblin Market, is wholly devoted to the work of modern Gothic author Joyce Carol Oates. (That's Gothic as in 18th and 19th century literature, not the vampires-and-black eyeliner crowd.) Oates' dense, understated but accessible prose is well reflected in the duo's work here. While the Goblin Market bears undeniable similarities to its parent band, its melodies are more somber, the arrangements more stately, like the tenor of Oates' books. Weller is more forceful as well, sharing the writing and doing most of the singing. Her lovely but reserved tone and folk-rock melodies make "Dark Days" and "Ugly Girls" into shimmering pop songs, despite the melancholy subjects; "Calla" puts her doomed romanticism to an almost classical melody, crossing over into art song. Kelly also moves in mysterious ways with "The Model," a ghostly track whose narrator can only be up to no good, and the piano-led instrumental "Waltz For Anna" (which segues into the dark ballad "The Tattooed Girl"). Other Kelly tracks like "Beasts," "Cruel Rapids White" and the title track fall back to Green PJs-style psych rock, but are no less effective or chilling for that. With strong tunes and a theme that unifies but doesn't overwhelm the music, Haunted is as good as 21st Century Seance, which is to say, as good as any music released in 2005. Michael Toland [buy it]