Touch & Go Records
1998
Transaction De Novo
About This Album
Bedhead was a quintessential indie rock band. What distinguished the group, however, was the way it combined the genre's modest ambitions with careful song construction and rock & roll's sense of grand dynamic excitement. There are no complex structures, highly expressive vocalists, or thrilling improvisations on a Bedhead album, but there is the music of a band exceptional at its particular craft. There is often an exquisite buildup in a Bedhead song. On Transaction de Novo the group achieves this both in each song's internal structure and externally as the album progresses. The short "Exhume" steps lightly through typically low-key vocals, a melodic bassline, and a chiming melody. "More Than Ever" follows, entering with lazy drum hits. Bedhead makes every note count and, consequently, a few notes can mean a great deal. Here, the band sketches the melody with minimal guitar; it's the less-is-more approach at its most convincing. "More Than Ever" builds at a relaxed pace only to pull back as its last note is struck. "Parade" creates more anticipation, then delivers with a glorious release. On Transaction, tightly controlled bursts always fit each song's progression, and there is no sense of indie kids toying with noise in the guise of creating a confrontational sound.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4 and 7)

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