Understated Power

Been listening to a few songs recently that remind me of the power of understatement, including Cat Power’s You Are Free and “Crystalized” by The XX.

These songs are basically structured in a traditional rock n’ roll sense. However, the sound (mainly the muted instruments) contrast with what we expect from the form has taught us over the years (loud guitars and singing, etc.) Taking this approach one step farther is the lack of a dramatic release (typically an over-the-top bridge or ecstatic guitar solo). Since there’s a lot of power in anticipation, this missing release perversely enhances the songs' power. The tension driving the tunes derives from expecting something that hasn’t arrived yet, and so you keep listening.

Of course, the pitfall here is that you might feel let down by the lack of this release. Certainly, my first listen to You Are Free disappointed me. However, I found that once you let go of your expectations, the songs really grow on you. This may be a conscious decision by the artists, who probably know that they are thwarting listeners expectations driven by years of Classic Rawk. In many instances – certainly, in “Crystalized” – the song is enhanced by the lack of the traditional “release”. After all, who says tradition is always correct?

(As an aside, an interesting thought experiment would be to ponder the fact that both of these songs are led by women. Liz Phair has also played with musical expectations in this manner in the past. Does a strong feminine viewpoint contribute to this conscious rejection of the traditional rock n' roll form - typically seen as extremely masculine? Just thinking out loud here... I certainly don't know enough about modern music to make any judgments.)