Stove
Is Stupider
Reviewed by: Max Miller
The first track on Is Stupider, the debut LP from Stove, opens with a sudden burst of electric and acoustic guitars and Steve Hartlett’s strained voice shouting, “Don’t know who I am, so I act like who I’m with.” The song, “Stupider,” is 22 seconds long. It’s a fitting introduction to Stove, Hartlett’s solo project following the dissolution of his beloved former band Ovlov, a group known for hitting indie rock fans’ sweet spots with a sound that could most crassly be described as “Dinosaur Jr, but more shoegaze-y.” And though Hartlett plays all the instruments this time ‘round, Is Stupider mostly sounds like a continuation from where Ovlov left off.
Just give the very next track, “Stupid” a listen*. It has all the hallmarks of a cut off Ovlov’s acclaimed am. Kevin Shields-esque shoegaze bends? Check. Mopey lyrics? How does “I wish my friends would look me in the eye” strike your fancy? Charmingly rough production? Flagland’s own Nick Dooley and Dan Francia have seen to that. As such, Stove’s problems are Ovlov’s problems, and Ovlov — cult band though they may be — had some notable problems.
Most pressingly: Listening to Ovlov was like listening to a mixtape made by a 20-year old who just read Our Band Could Be Your Life. Or, worse yet, like listening to any of thousands of lost “classics” from the late ‘80s-early ‘90s glut of college rock bands clamoring to be their town’s Superchunk. While a little nostalgia never hurt anyone, Ovlov never really surpassed their influences to make something wholly their own. But don’t tell their fans that — maybe their live show was particularly spectacular, or maybe the kids are just too damn easy to please these days, but Ovlov were nothing if not revered.
In that respect, those fans need not take my criticisms to heart. These folks will surely adore Stove’s familiar touch and pore over Hartlett’s lyrics, which mainly seem to address the somewhat acrimonious breakup of Ovlov. Is Stupider is as much an album for the loyal fans as it is one for Hartlett to lick his wounds and start fresh. For now, we can give him a pass. But it’s a new dawn for Steve Hartlett; it’s time for him to prove he can live up to the hype.
Rating: Listenable
*Yes, this is a theme. There is also a “Stupidest.”
