Rainer Maria – Long Knives Drawn
(Polyvinyl)

“Surely all art is the result of one’s having been in danger, of having gone through an experience all the way to the end, where no one can go any further.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

There is something poetic about the band Rainer Maria, and I don’t just say that because their name derives from one of the band’s favourite poets. Their music has a certain beauty to it that goes beyond the average rock band. A lot of it probably has to do with lead singer Caithlin De Marrais’ enchanting vocals, which are alternately delicate and biting, but the songs do also have an element of danger to them. Much like Rainer Maria Rilke himself states, the band’s art is clearly rooted in intense personal experiences that are being shared with the listener. Although the band has been pigeonholed with the accursed “emo” catch phrase, they are truly deserving of the title as emotion seeps from nearly every track on this album.

While I am not too familiar with Rainer Maria’s earlier records, on Long Knives Drawn the band seems to have increased the adrenaline a few notches, especially on songs like Ears Ring and Long Knives (a couple of the album’s obvious standouts). The band sounds more focused and less playful than in the past, and Kyle Fischer have given up vocal duties to De Marrais completely, which makes it seem much more personal. Fischer’s dreamy guitar work provides atmosphere and blankets William Kuehn’s tight drumming and De Marrais’ sinewy bass lines. Thankfully the band doesn’t try to bludgeon the listener with a wall of distortion — they allow the music to absorb into the bloodstream more gradually, giving ample opportunity to admire the melodies and listen to the lyrics. Most of the songs seem to be about lost love and self-reflection, which may sound pretty trite, but can enjoyable when delivered with a certain amount of sincerity.

Some of the album’s most moving moments are the majestic lead off track Mystery and Misery, and the ponderous lyrics and thundering chorus of The Imperatives. Truthfully, all nine tracks make for a great listen however.

Rainer Maria are a band who I hadn’t really paid much attention to up until now, but this album has won me over. Fans of Sleater-Kinney, Tilt, or even Blondie will likely treasure this record, although I think just about anybody who’s into good rock music can probably appreciate it in some way. They may seem a bit pretentious to some, but I guess you can’t please everyone. It takes guts to name your band after a famous poet, but if any band can live up to such a name, it’s definitely Rainer Maria. — Sean