[11.02] For some time now I have been waiting to hear something a little different than what has become typical indie sounds. Something a little more experimental and fresh, perhaps with a hint of pop, but something bolder, that lets me know this is the 21st century. That something is the new Nate Ruth CD, Whatever It Meant.

Before I even had the chance to listen to this album I was told that it was "fucking weird." One brief listen to it confirmed those words. However, a few listens later it became very apparent that the weirdness of it was actually pretty darn cool. Whatever It Meant is a perfect soundtrack for those times when you close your eyes while driving; you do it long enough to be scared that you're not going straight anymore and then you open them to see where you are. I don't know, maybe I'm just a bit reckless. Or maybe what I am trying to say is that this CD, while sometimes entrancing with its dissonance, is the most bold and interesting effort by any artist that I've heard in a long time. Though it might not make any sense at first, you keep wanting to listen until you can make something out of it. Sometimes you have to stop and come back from the abyss that the music takes you to. However, there is an underlying poeticism in Ruth's lyrics and some great melodies that all come together if you give it a chance.

Whatever It Meant starts with a couple drum n' bass-like tunes with melodic Brit pop-like vocals. It sounds to me like what I think Pulp or Blur would sound like if they chose to play a rave. It is also a bit reminiscent of some of the Super Furry Animals', Guerrilla, which experimented with similar beats. The guitar in these tracks however, is very dissonant; the sounds are almost undefined like My Bloody Valentine. For a while you are waiting for something solid to sink your teeth into, but then you realize that it isn't going to happen. A few tracks in, however, the songs become a little more accessible. Track four is a beautiful ballad in the spirit of Depeche Mode, with guitars that hint at Isn't Anything and Loveless. Towards the latter half of the CD, however, beautiful piano melodies become prominent in a few of the songs like "Every Summer" and "Code Words," both of which are simply beautiful.

While not completely original in his experimentation, Nate Ruth has put together a sound that is not quite like anything I've heard in recent days. It hints at many influences, but sounds like none, and damn, it's refreshing in a time when guitar rock has once again become dominant. —Matthew