First Impressions: Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The Gold Medallion

Back before Wolf Parade signed up with Sup Pop they put out 2 self titled EP’s (One with 4 songs, the second with 6. In the end there were confusingly 3 of these eponymous releases, another came out on Sup Pop just prior to Apologies To The Queen Mary*) themselves. When it came time to record their album with Modest Mouse’s Issac Brock in Portland they ended up re-recording 6 of those 10 songs for it (another song, then titled “I’ll believe in anything, you’ll begin in anything” that originally appeared on the first Sunset Rubdown album was also re-recorded). Having been familiar with the rougher EP versions of the songs long before the album came out I was at first really disappointed with the more polished new versions of the songs (save for the one Spencer Krug had put out his album which became immeasurably better). Time goes by though, and while I still prefer those early versions I’ve come to enjoy the more pristine takes on the tunes that Brock produced and to enjoy the qualities that they do have, so much so that I now consider that record to be one of the finest of the decade.

With all that in mind I listened to the stream of Fight Like Apes’ album Fight Like Apes And the Mystery Of The Golden Medallion this morning. Recorded in Seattle earlier in the year the album features re-recorded versions of 5 songs from their first 2 EP’s. They’ve been given a wash, gussied up, and had their hair meticulously combed for presentation to a wider audience, and in doing so to my ears a couple of them have lost a bit of the charm that made them so exciting in the first place.

When I first heard Fight Like Apes (well quite not the first time, that was when I walked into The Mezz to find them on stage one night after being half deafened by Dinosaur Jr. at TBMC so despite them making an impression I couldn’t really give them my full attention what with all the ear ringing, I mean heard them properly) it was on the radio and May Kay’s voice popped up screaming “Lend Me Your Face, Lend Me Your Face” and it was raw and there was an edge to it and it was so, so genuinely exciting. Kitchen sinks were being flung full force at walls and miraculously were sticking. It’s been repeatedly said over and over of them before but it was a bit of a shock to learn that they were a local band. And even at that early point they had other songs, “Battlestations” and “Jake Summers” in particular, just as good. And on the album those 3 songs have had their edges filed down and polished a little and they’re worse off for it. Not to say that they haven’t gained some things as well, the breakdown at the end of “Lend Me Your Face” for example works a lot better in the new version. Overall though it’s only “Snore Bore Whore”, which I would have considered to be a minor part of their EP canon which is greatly improved on the album.

To that end it’s the songs that don’t have the baggage of having been part of my record collection for a year that grab me most here. I’d broadly agree with Karl on “Something Global” and “I’m Beginning To Think You Prefer Beverly Hills 90210 to me” does little for me but “Tie Me Up With Jackets” and “Digifucker” (possibly featuring the best use of a power drill in music I’ve heard since Lee Ranaldo was going wild with his wah wah on “The Burning Spear”, unless it’s not a power drill, in which case it isn’t) reminds me why I liked them in the first place without quite reaching the standards of their first EP**. And you never know, given a bit more time with it I may grow to appreciate what the new takes on the older tunes have to offer as well.

Thumbs broadly up.

But not as much as this guy’s are.



Now if you haven’t already you can go listen to the stream of the album here and make your mind up for yourself.

* This also featured songs from the album but they were the same versions.
** Gah, I loike totally preferred their early stuff man***
*** Fuck off, I did.