Four Cornered Night

Four Cornered Night is the second studio album by American rock band Jets to Brazil. In late 1999 and early 2000, while touring in support of Orange Rhyming Dictionary (1998), the band debuted new material. Between March and May, they recorded at Inner Ear Studios with producer J. Robbins. The album was the inclusion of piano instrumentation and lyrics sung from the first-person perspective. Though it was pushed back a few times, Four Cornered Night was eventually released on September 11, 2000 through independent label Jade Tree. It reached number 19 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, later going on to sell over 48,000 copies in the US. It received a mainly favourable response from music critics, many of which found it superior to Orange Rhyming Dictionary. The band supported it with two US tours (one following its release and the other in early 2001) and one stint in Japan.

Four Cornered Night
Studio album by
Jets to Brazil
ReleasedSeptember 11, 2000
RecordedMarch–May 2000
StudioInner Ear
GenreEmo, indie rock
Length54:04
LabelJade Tree
ProducerJ. Robbins
Jets to Brazil chronology
Orange Rhyming Dictionary
(1998)		 Four Cornered Night
(2000)		 Perfecting Loneliness
(2002)

Background and production

With the addition of former the Van Pelt guitarist Brian Maryansky,[1] Orange Rhyming Dictionary was released in October 1998;[2] multiple tours of the US, Europe and Japan followed.[3][4][5] In September 1999, the group performed at the Jade Tree/CMJ showcase in New York City, and a handful of east coast dates around this. At these shows, the group debuted new material.[5] Schwarzenbach spent some time between his apartment in New York City and his mother's farm in Nova Scotia, Canada. He played her upright piano – a change from his Roland digital keyboard when working on songs – and viewed it as a different way of playing.[6]

In February 2000, the group went on an east coast tour; following the stint's conclusion, the band finished working on material for their next album. They began recording it in March at Inner Ear Studios with producer J. Robbins,[7] and finished in May.[8] Robbins was "not afraid of the theatricality that the album seemed headed toward. Instead of ducking that, we kind of embraced it", according to Schwarzenbach.[6]

Composition

Musically, the sound of Four Cornered Night has been described as emo in the vein of the Juliana Theory, while the softer tracks were reminiscent of Elvis Costello.[9] The majority of the album featured Schwarzenbach playing a piano, which he had been using for a year and half. Schwarzenbach theorised the instrument "changed a lot … I think it ended up affecting the songs and making them a little more orchestral, or a little more involved."[6] As a result, it is heard on four of the album's tracks;[10] the inclusion of the instrumental drew a comparison to Summerteeth (1999)-era Wilco.[11]

Schwarzenbach's vocals were reminiscent of Cracker frontman David Lowery, and the Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler.[12][13][14] A cello is heard on three of the album's tracks.[1] The members spent time listening to albums that were influential to them; for Schwarzenbach: Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969) by the Kinks.[6] While some of Orange Rhyming Dictionary was sung in third-person, a lot of Four Cornered Night is done in first-person. Schwarzenbach explained that "felt ready, I felt a growing confidence in myself to tell my story."[1]

"You're Having the Time of My Life" incorporated arpeggios and chord progressions that recalled new wave.[6] Schwarzenbach wrote "One Summer Last Fall" as an open letter of fans that were still clinging to Jawbreaker.[15] The guitar pop track "Air Traffic Control" was compared to the Byrds[6] and Fountains of Wayne. The song discusses a fear of flying,[16] and utilizes the guitar riff heard in "Ticket to Ride" by the Beatles.[17] "Pale New Dawn", "In the Summer's When You Really Know" and "Empty Picture Frame" were reminiscent of 52nd Street (1978)-era Billy Joel, Running on Empty (1977)-era Jackson Browne and Night Moves (1976)-era Bob Seger, respectively.[15] "Pale New Dawn", as with "You're Having the Time of My Life", is about a failed relationship.[16] The piano-driven track "In the Summer's When You Really Know"[16] tackles the theme of love, while "Empty Picture Frame" is about being lonely and smoking dope.[18]

It is followed by the acoustic-based mid-tempo track "Little Light", which drew comparison to Costello.[9] ""Your X-Rays Have Just Come Back from the Lab and We Think We Know What Your Problem Is"" is initially a guitar-and-vocal only effort until the full-band comes in; its guitar parts were reminiscent of Duran Duran.[6][12] "Milk and Apples" showcases the rock-centric side of the band's sound, with a comparison to AC/DC.[9][12] "Mid-Day Anonymous" was a mix of Pavement and a church organ. "*******" is an acoustic track that uses biblical imagery, and is done in the vein of the Who guitarist Pete Townshend.[6][19] "Orange Rhyming Dictionary" included Smithes-esque guitar effects.[12] With its sparse piano arrangement, the closing track "All Things Good and Nice" was compared to "Mother" by John Lennon;[17] the track discusses people loving everything.[18]

Release and reception
Jets to Brazil performing live in April 2001.
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[20]
CMJ New Music ReportFavorable[21]
Exclaim!Favorable[15]
Ink 19Favorable[22]
Modern FixMixed[23]
North County TimesC+[12]
Ox-FanzineFavorable[24]
The Phantom Tollbooth4.5/5[9]
Rolling StoneFavorable[25]
Seattle WeeklyFavorable[26]

Promotion and touring

In May 2000, Four Cornered Night was planned for release in mid-August;[8] by July, it was pushed back to late August due to a manufacturing delay.[27] In early August, the album was delayed again due to a manufacturing error;[28] it was eventually released on September 11.[29] It reached number 19 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, eventually going on to sell over 48,000 copies in the US.[30] Throughout September and October, the group toured across the US, and played a showcase for CMJ.[28] The band were supported by Cave In, Shiner, J Majesty,[31] Hey Mercedes and Turing Machine.[32] Jets to Brazil spent some time recuperating,[33] before on a US tour in April and May 2001 with the Love Scene and New End Original.[34] Following this, they embarked on a Japanese tour in June with Robbins' band Burning Airlines.[35]

Critical response

Four Cornered Night received favorable reviews from music critics. Ox-Fanzine reviewer Joachim Hiller said the album was "even better than expected", calling it a "masterpiece."[24] CMJ New Music Report's Tad Hendrickson viewed it as a "remarkable follow-up" to Orange Rhyming Dictionary, adding that it will "surprise many with its honesty and directness."[21] Peter Buchberger of Seattle Weekly said the record "challenges the listener", leaving "no apologies" with its "sincere, piano-infused anthems that are catchy and raspy at the same time."[26] Rolling Stone reviewer James Hunter said Schwarzenbach's emotions "adds up to extremely circular music, bold enough to drive some rock fans mad and to enthrall others."[25] Exclaim! writer Stuart Green said that while the album was "a far cry from the aggressive" Orange Rhyming Dictionary, it ultimately beats it, "at least in terms of songwriting and cohesiveness."[15]

Ink 19's Marcel Feldmar said it took a few more plays for the album to capture his attention "within its brilliance" than Orange Rhyming Dictionary.[22] The minimal nature of the album "threw me off at first", though thankfully, "the intensity is still there, the voice is still there, almost breaking at times, stronger than steel at times."[22] AllMusic reviewer Adam Bregman said Schwarzenbach "indulges in the sort of over-the-top sentimentality that is more reminiscent of a lengthy novel by Proust than anything you'd expect from a rock band."[20] Modern Fix found the guitars not as "grating" as on Orange Rhyming Dictionary, and noted that the "tempos are slowed, and Schwarzenbach’s angst" is partially swapped for a cello and a piano.[23] In a brief review for The Stranger, Kris Adams said it was a "decent, if disappointing follow-up to a good debut."[36]

Track listing
  1. "You're Having the Time of My Life" – 3:26
  2. "One Summer Last Fall" – 5:03
  3. "Air Traffic Control" – 2:45
  4. "Pale New Dawn" – 4:59
  5. "In the Summer's When You Really Know" – 6:17
  6. "Empty Picture Frame" – 3:59
  7. "Little Light" – 3:39
  8. ""Your X-Rays Have Just Come Back from the Lab and We Think We Know What Your Problem Is"" – 4:18
  9. "Milk and Apples" – 2:54
  10. "Mid-Day Anonymous" – 4:01
  11. "*******" – 1:23
  12. "Orange Rhyming Dictionary" – 5:48
  13. "All Things Good and Nice" – 5:32

References

Citations

  1. Jacks, Kelso (2000). "Jets to Brazil - Flying the Friendly Skies". CMJ. Archived from the original on September 26, 2003. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  2. "Orange Rhyming Dictionary - Jets to Brazil | Release Info". AllMusic. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  3. "News". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on February 21, 1999. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. "News". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on April 20, 1999. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  5. "News". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on October 6, 1999. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  6. Langworthy, Lloyd (September 20, 2000). "Cleared for Takeoff". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  7. "News". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on February 29, 2000. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  8. "News". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on May 10, 2000. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  9. Argyrakis, Andy (November 7, 2000). "Four Cornered Night". The Phantom Tollbooth. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  10. Martin 2000, p. 32
  11. Berlyant, Matthew (October 4, 2009). "Matthew Berlyant: October 4, 2009". The Big Takeover. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  12. Rubin, Stephen (September 15–21, 2000). "Music". North County Times. Archived from the original on April 29, 2002. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  13. Mann, James (October 24, 2000). "Jets To Brazil". Ink 19. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  14. Masley, Ed (October 4, 2000). "The Buzz". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. ISSN 1068-624X. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  15. Green, Stuart (August 2, 2000). "Jets To Brazil Four Cornered Night". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  16. Martin 2000, p. 33
  17. Jenkins, Mark (September 1, 2000). "Jets to Brazil "Four Cornered Night" Jade Tree". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  18. Partain, Jack. "Jets to Brazil". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  19. Enright, Patrick. "Review: Four Cornered Night". Wall of Sound. Archived from the original on April 14, 2001. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  20. Bregman, Adam. "Four Cornered Night – Jets to Brazil". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  21. Hendrickson, Tad (August 28, 2000). "Jets To Brazil: Four Cornered Night". CMJ New Music Report. Archived from the original on September 22, 2002. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  22. Feldmar, Marcel (September 1, 2000). "Jets To Brazil Four Cornered Night". Ink 19. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  23. "Review: Jets to Brazil". Modern Fix. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  24. Hiller, Joachim (September–November 2000). "Reviews: Jets to Brazil / Four Cornered Night DoLP/CD". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  25. Hunter, James (August 29, 2000). "Jets to Brazil, Amil Lead New Releases". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  26. Buchberger, Peter (October 9, 2006). "Review: Jets to Brazil". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  27. Paul, Aubin (July 18, 2000). "Jets to Brazil Delayed!". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  28. MTV News Staff (August 11, 2000). "Rock Beat: Garbage, Get Up Kids, Sunshine ..." MTV. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  29. "Four Cornered Night - Jets to Brazil | Release Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  30. Cohen, Jonathan (October 14, 2002). "Billboard Bits: Jets/Music, Aterciopelados, Tin Angel". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  31. "Tours". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  32. "Tours". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on October 18, 2000. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  33. "News". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on November 10, 2000. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  34. "Tours". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on March 31, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  35. "News". Jade Tree. Archived from the original on June 15, 2001. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  36. Adams, Kris (August 24, 2000). "In Stores 8/29". The Stranger. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.

Sources

  • Martin, Richard A. (September 2000). "The Low Road". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 85. CMJ Network, Inc. ISSN 1074-6978. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
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