Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Know Better, Learn Faster

Album Review by Gillian Watson | 01 Jan 2010
Album title: Know Better, Learn Faster
Artist: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Release date: 11 Jan

US singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen's second album in collaboration with The Get Down Stay Down is a singular creature: a break-up record which somehow evokes the kaleidoscopic exhilaration of falling in love. The belligerent 33-second opening stomp of The Clap provides warning that what follows will tread conventional maudlin terrain neither lyrically nor musically.

From here on in, as the band careen towards closer Easy ("Sad people dance, too"), we're exposed to a whole host of conflicting emotions, ranging between When We Swam's engagingly clear-eyed sexuality, the sinewy kiss-off of Good Bye Good Luck and Oh. No.'s almost wordless regret. The obvious highlight, however, is Andrew Bird's violin cameo on the rustic, riotous title track, which lends it a wistfulness that rises up in the listener's throat.

As far as Thao is concerned, although it hurts to love and lose, it's better than never loving at all. Going on this evidence, we'd have to concur.

http://www.thaomusic.com