Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, “The Dust of Retreat” (Artemis Records, 2006)

The Indiana octet Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s debut album, “The Dust of Retreat,” delivers a delightfully unique take on indie rock. Despite countless comparisons to the Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes, Margot entices the listener with their unique musical compositions and heartfelt lyrics.

Individuality is a key part of “The Dust of Retreat,” and songs like “Dress me like a Clown” epitomize this ideal, both lyrically and musically. Richard Edwards, vocalist and guitarist, sings, “I am alive, I am alive and that is the best that I can do,” with a cool nonchalance that isn’t fake or gimmicky, but truly sincere. Each instrument seems to build a life of its own as the song progresses. One guitar plays a effortless melody one note at time while the other lightly plays chords. The keyboard plinks away at its own vivacious riff. Instead of having the cello simply mimic the guitar the cello, like many other bands tend to do, it is used to add short and sweet melodies throughout the album. In "Dress me like a Clown" the cello fluidly slides from note to note and creates a patter on its own. For most bands having each instrument play its own individual part could turn into a cacophony of noise, but for Margot each part blends into one solidly orchestrated piece.

An album filled with catchy string laden indie pop songs risks sounding monotonous, but Margot breaks up the repetitiveness with tracks such as “Quiet as a Mouse” and “Barfight Revolution, Power Violence.” Margot abandons the complex melodies of previous songs in favor of simple distorted chords.

“Barfight Revolution, Power Violence” surprises the listener with its more traditional rock sound. The opening guitar riff is the soundtrack for a night spent crawling through dark city alleyways. Edward’s voice starts as a whisper and quickly crescendos into a yell as the song abruptly hits the chorus. Edward slams on the guitar repeating several chords which all in turn blend together. A second guitar yo-yo’s betweens chords sounding more like a low hum in the background. Though this song is a departure from the traditional Margot sound it is a welcome inclusion on the album.

Though “Barfight” is a unique addition to the album, heartfelt track such as, “Jen is Bringing the Drugs” bring the honesty found throughout the album to the forefront. The song abandons the regular octet and focuses on Edward alone. He strums his acoustic guitar, carefully making sure each note comes through. Edward’s lyrics are sung barely above a whisper. His voice cracks and wavers as the song reaches it emotional climax. Though all the lyrics on “The Dust of Retreat” are on some level intimate, the lyrics on “Jen is Bringing the Drugs” are especially emotive. Edwards ends the song crooning on ofthe most powerful line of the album, “Love is an inkless pen. It’s a tavern. It’s sin. It’s a horrible way to begin.”   

            Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s have mastered their individual take on indie rock and outdone the bigger names in the genre with their honest lyrics and elaborate musical compositions.