painfully beautiful

Review Score: (10/10)
This album holds a strange place in my heart as one of the greatest albums I purposely almost never listen to. The feel of heartache and loss that dominates this album is so strong as to be nearly unbearable at times. Whereas "Summerteeth" glosses over many of its darker moments with production sheen and pop hooks, "Being There" pretty much lays it all out on the table as raw as can be. The stylistic range displayed here is staggering, alternating between traditional-sounding numbers to roots-rock stompers and the chimy pop of "Outta Sight" to the feedback-soaked drone of "Misunderstood" and "Sunken Treasure". To be honest, those last two I mentioned have always been my favorites on this set -- and maybe thats why I was initially upset with the glossy poppiness of their followup CD. Still, this band is on such an incredible roll where it seems they can do no wrong, whether it be with their three studio albums or the Mermaid Ave projects. Its all great! This album is a sad, cathartic masterpiece. Its a wonderful album and I can't begin to recommend it strongly enough, but approach it with caution. If you have a beer, you will likely soon be crying in it.

More Reviews:

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