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Travis Morrison Hellfighters: All Y'all

Travis Morrison Hellfighters: All Y'all

Travis Morrison sang neurotically rattled originals and Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up" with just about equal affection on The Dismemberment Plan's farewell tour, which somehow left many fans and critics in a purist mood. Here's to more whims and pissing more people off: Morrison and his Hellfighters bring a tightness and cohesion to All Y'all that the singer avoided on his solo debut, Travistan, but they don't flinch at the childish vomit-wave that album caught. Morrison still writes lyrics other singers wouldn't know what to do with, then dresses them in a flea market's worth of rhythms, synths, fidgety guitars, and electronic bloops. Conflict and ambivalence create new Morrison standards like "East Side Of The River," his most heart-melting song yet: "If there is someone that you'd rather be, go find him and bring him back, I'll love him just the same." Spastic delights like "As We Proceed," "Hawkins' Rock," and "You Make Me Feel Like A Freak" might reassure pickier Dismemberment Plan fans. Even better, All Y'all should help them embrace Morrison for what really defines him—his defiance.

 
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