There has been a recent buzz surrounding Eric Avery’s decision to rejoin Jane’s Addiction on stage for a NME Awards show in L.A. earlier this year. This has lead to the possibility of an original lineup reunion, and these events unfortunately overshadowed Avery’s solo release Help Wanted on Dangerbird Records this past April. Even though this is Avery’s first formal release under his own name, he previously released his solo work under the Polarbear moniker in the years after Jane’s broke up in 1991. Under Polarbear, Avery released 1996′s Self-titled 12″ ice blue vinyl and then 1997′s Chewing Gum EP, before releasing the brilliant LP Why Something Instead of Nothing? in 1999. Ahead of its time, Avery’s Polarbear was a brilliant experimental noise machine that featured complicated song textures and was notable by the early integration of a laptop when playing live shows. However, this project went virtually unnoticed outside of L.A. and WSION was limited to 2,000 copies before the label stopped pressing records. Luckily for fans, it was reissued in 2004, when, perhaps, audiences were more ready for the groundbreaking LP.
The keyboards and guitar on the opening track “Belly of an Insect” lays the groundwork for the listener for an experience in ever-changing experimental melodies and bass lines that bring you into the unknown. As Avery chants the chorus “carry my blood away,” it is obvious that you are in for a fresh ride on this record. The drum machine pattern from the second track, “Beside the Fire” will sound familiar to Polarbear fans and creates a unique ladder to Avery’s past, while creating novel guitar sounds behind the brainy mantra of “I don’t know why sometimes I lose my mind when everything seems just fine.” These lyrics merge with the dark dirge of Avery’s melodies perfectly.
Where many artists fall short in taking musical risks, Avery excels. “All Remote and No Control” is the first single and continues Avery’s lyrical theme of paradoxical juxtapositions. Ever dynamic, Avery takes vocal chances with spoken word verses on as “Revolution” and on a classic duet with former Garbage singer Shirley Manson on “Maybe.” Other songs, such as “Philo Beddoe,” bring the listener into a different musical realm with the crushing guitar behind jarring, distorted strings. Avery’s range shines bright on “Porchlight,” with unique guitar rhythms and poetic keyboards.
Avery reaches into the depths of despair and depression in his lyrics and profound vocals, reminiscent of Peter Murphy. As with Polarbear, Avery plays most of the instruments but in addition to Manson, he enlists contributions from other notables, including Foo Fighter’s drummer Taylor Hawkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea (who plays trumpet) and Chris Channy, who ironically played bass in the last incarnation of the Jane’s Addition.
Help Wanted picks up were Polarbear left off and gives us one of the best and most overlooked releases so far in 2008. I can only hope that Avery disbands the idea of reuniting with Jane’s and tours in support of his best work to date. With Help Wanted Eric Avery has created a exceptional and necessary album in a time when many musical artists from the 90s–including present members of Jane’s-continue to generate music unnecessarily.
