Album of the Week: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists’ “The Tyranny of Distance” (2001)
Album of the Week
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
The Tyranny of Distance (Lookout! Records; 2001)
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RATED 8 of 10 — Ted Leo headed many punk rock groups before he made this album. But this isn’t punk rock. Rather, The Tyranny of Distance is a collection of high-energy pop songs produced by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty and performed by extraordinary musicians, who change hands from song to song. The album features three different drummers, all of whom pack unrelenting rhythms. And while the Pharmacists rotate throughout the album, Ted Leo’s falsetto voice and blazing guitars define the band’s sound. Leo plays like no other. “Parallel or Together?” proves it. In “Under the Hedge,” Leo weaves his brand of high-energy rock with Byrds-inspired guitar rhythms to sing about his obsession with a lover. (“Oh I’ve been sometimes under your wall/Peeping at all where I’m not welcome./I’ve seen you one time stumble and fall/But I still love you, you see?”). At times Leo’s lyrics feature too many inside jokes and references, which tend to alienate newcomers. Things slow down a bit for “The Gold Finch and the Red Oak Tree,” where the cello and acoustic guitar are reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday.” At other times, Leo’s sound conjures up Indiana’s heartland rock with “Timorous Me” and “Squeaky Fingers.” Leo’s distinct brand of pop rock bursts with a raw energy that will pass you by if you’re not paying attention. Don’t let this one go. – by Ben Lowenthal
All albums reviewed in this space are available at Maui’s only record store, Requests (10 N. Market St., Wailuku, 808-244-9315)
A version of this article appeared in print on May 19, 2011, on page 17 of MauiTime (volume 14, issue 48)
