Polyvinyl Records
2003
Long Knives Drawn
About This Album
If nothing else, with the release of Long Knives Drawn, Rainer Maria have shown everyone one thing: nine is their magic number. Four LPs under their belts and four albums with exactly nine songs. Not too typical, but this trio has hardly ever been conventional. One look at their set-up shows that to be true. There are few bands who have been as successful in the indie rock scene who have a female singer and aren't associated with the riot grrl movement. Nevertheless, Long Knives Drawn finds the band continuing where A Better Version Of Me left off. Compared to early releases, Kyle Fischer's vocals are non-existent; rather, bassist Caithlin de Marrais continues to expand upon her role as the true frontwoman in the band. In many ways, the vocals from de Marrais carry the weight of the album, as they are seemingly the highest element in the mix. Her vocals seem stronger, more confident, and her range better than on any previous recording the band has done. They can be sweet and delicate as on the closer, "Situation: Relation," or grand and saucy as heard on "Ears Ring." Nevertheless, the music isn't without its fair share of attention-grabbers, either. William Kuehn's limbs were surely all over the place in the recording of the album as he shows his extent as a drummer to be quite amazing.
Track List (try tracks 1,2 and 4)

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