The Rational Academy - "A Heart Against Your Own"

The Rational Academy - Jojoplanteen (Someone Good 2008)

The Rational Academy - A Heart Against Your Own / Someone Good

A Heart Against Your Own is an excellent soundtrack to the let-down that the actual St. Patrick's Day holiday presented in the wake of the weekend, which claimed its fair share of victims and killed the spirit of even the most hearty drinkers as Monday rolled around. Instead of a review for the latest from Triclops!, it thus comes as no surprise that The Rational Academy captures this post-inebriated haze perfectly instead.

Such a pleasant and quietly content record should not be as interesting as this one is, but the 'Academy's songwriting duo in Meredith McHugh and Benjamin Thompson laid the groundwork for Room40 mastermind Lawrence English and Icelandic dronesmith Ben Frost (whom we love here at Audiversity but somehow never covered for last year's Theory of Machines) to come in and add that extra twist which now separates this Brisbane quartet from so many other indie-rock bands in pursuit of the dream of recreating 1997. The delicate art of putting the vocals just a pinch higher in the mix than they should be, coupled with tasteful effects and a noteworthy cut in the Jets to Brazil (Or Mineral? Or any genuinely good indie-rock band?) anthem you never thought you'd hear in "Two Books," means that A Heart Against Your Own is the real deal, no fanfare need apply.

It's not all rose-tinted retro revivalism from the starry-eyed 90s, though. After releasing two 7" singles and appearing on a number of compilations, they've clearly learned that what works for them isn't always the most straightforward sound. Thankfully, there is also a futurism suggested in the quiet drum machine loop hiding in the shadows of "Jojoplanteen," and in the misty air surrounding "Squid & Whale" as the ambient textures take precedent and a quiet holding pattern sustains itself longer than you'd expect, before the crunchy guitars reminiscent of Desert Hearts swoop in and then swoop you out with them as an F5 tornado takes you away to a place where acoustic strumming and McHugh's lilting lullabies carry the last minute or so. It's the epic stroke you never knew you were waiting for, but this band is all about eschewing the conventions of being a regular old indie band. In fact, the best way to describe The Rational Academy is by saying that this is a bedroom romantic's My Bloody Valentine. Bedroomantica, that's what The Rational Academy is. They know what they're doing.

That may seem like a beaten horse at this point, but it's what makes The Rational Academy so interesting. It's what drew disparate acts like Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, Spoon, and Scout Niblet to call them up for an opening slot down under. It's what led Rave Magazine to describe this as "an essential Brisbane release." Hell, it's what drew me to this record just when I thought I didn't want to hear it. Forget Out of Africa for the time being. A Heart Against Your Own, in its own cutely confident way, is exactly the kind of album you thought you'd stopped listening to because you were sure you'd outgrown this stuff. The Rational Academy are a smarter band, and they know what you're thinking. For once, not being jaded about a record that sounds like this will be well worth your while. You will hardly believe you've had it on repeat for three hours, and that you're having to use the excuse of second-person point of view to hide your subjectivity. Get a grip, man. You're not that big of a deal.