For my final eclectic critique, I chose to analyze "Breadcrumb Trail" by Slint from their 1991 album Spiderland.
Step One: Open ViewingFor the purpose of this eclectic analysis, the recording of Slint’s “Breadcrumb Trail” that will be examined is an mp3 digital audio file as heard through a pair of studio headphones. Based on the electric guitars, bass, and drums in use and the various techniques the performers employ, the performance can be easily classified as being rock music, albeit a broad heading, within the first moments of viewing. What are not presently clear, however, are any traditional elements of form in contemporary popular music, such as defined verses, choruses, or vocal refrains. The vocalist’s mumbling, and speech-like performance is at times difficult to decipher and appears relatively unfamiliar given its rock music context. The lyrics also stand out in that no single line seems to repeat, and as a result take on a poetic quality. Some of the more immediately recognizable characteristics of the song are its abrupt and drastic changes in dynamics, the overall darkness and dissonance it projects, and the audibly uncomfortable screeching electric guitars.
Step Two: Historical Background
“Breadcrumb Trail” is the opening track on Slint’s second studio album Spiderland, which was released on March 27, 1991 through Touch and Go Records. The band formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1986 when its members, guitarist/vocalist Brian McMahan, guitarist David Pajo, drummer Britt Walford, and bassist Ethan Buckler were roughly 20 years old. This estimate, based on Pajo’s 1966 date of birth, places the members in their early-to-mid 20s when Spiderland was recorded. It must also be noted that Buckler left the group in 1987 and was subsequently replaced by Todd Brashear, who is featured on Spiderland. The album was recorded by Brian Paulson at River North Studio in Chicago, Illinois and was released in three formats: audio cassette, compact disc, and LP vinyl.
By 1991, mainstream American hard rock music had seen the over-saturated glam metal era of the 1980s come and go, leaving premier, no-frills acts like Guns ‘n’ Roses and Metallica to top the Billboard charts. Seattle-based newcomers Nirvana also released the acclaimed Nevermind in September 1991, an album that quickly climbed the charts and ushered “grunge” into the mainstream. Beginning in the early 1980s, however, localized underground punk rock communities were forming around a heavier, rawer style of punk rock called “hardcore.” The most notable of these areas was Washington D.C., which cultivated a vibrant scene led by now-legendary acts such as Minor Threat and Bad Brains. The 80s hardcore wave spread from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, Boston, and New York, and by the end of the decade was established as a vibrant subculture and an alternative outlet for musical and self-expression.
For punk rock music, the 1990s marked a transition in the genre as newer bands began experimenting with more melody, rhythmic and dynamic variation, and general musical complexity. These changes came to embody new sub-genres of alternative rock that would later be named “post-hardcore,” “post-punk,” “post-rock,” and “math rock,” each of which has been used to describe Slint’s music. What often defines these styles is the reinterpretation of the original elements of punk and hard rock (i.e. speed, loudness, “heaviness,” darkness) through technicality and precise songwriting.
Step Three: Syntax
The Spiderland recording of “Breadcrumb Trail” clocks in at 5 minutes 55 seconds. The musical performance captured on the recording features two electric guitarists, one electric bass guitarist, one drummer, and one male vocalist. The six-string guitars are tuned (from lowest pitch to highest pitch) D – A – D – G – B – e, and the four-string bass guitar is tuned D – A – D – G. The drum kit is comprised of one bass drum and one snare drum, a pair of toms and one floor tom, one pair of high hats, two uniquely pitched crash cymbals, and one ride cymbal.
The song’s structure is marked by starkly contrasting sections that feature distinct tempos, time signatures, and dynamics, and may be illustrated as such:
Section A
Section A’
Section B
Section C
Section B
Section C
Bridge
Section A
Section A’
Section A opens the song in 7/4 time at roughly 110 beats per minute, during which the guitars and bass arpeggiate between A Major and Cadd9 chords. The drums and bass enter quietly after the first measure, and the vocal narration begins on the third. Section A’, the transition from Section A to Section B, is executed with the addition of one-measure, four-beat rests and a variation on the opening chords, which change to arpeggiate between C Major, Bb diminished, and Aminor7.
Section B is the alternated repetition of two distinct parts at roughly 220 beats per minute, the first in 12/8 time and the second in 15/8. The first phrase uses even eighth-notes to change from A5 to Gadd9 to Eb/G5 to Ab/G5, while the second phrase outlines a D5 chord and resolves back into the first. It can also be said that this second phrase is defined by the arpeggiating lead guitar line that plays an upper-octave F# - B - F# - G - A melody using harmonics. This section also marks a noteworthy shift in dynamics from the previous as it rips in at a noticeably higher volume and with heavy distortion on the electric guitars.
Section C takes the piece back to a 110 beats per minute quarter-note feel in 4/4 time, and features a two-measure phrase that is repeated three times. In the first measure of the phrase the two guitar parts create polyrhythm and dissonance, and on the first beat of the second measure unite with the bass and drums to hold out a CMajor7 chord for four beats. The section’s first appearance ends with a fourth playing of the first half of the main phrase and flow seamlessly back into Section B. The later return to Section C, however, culminates with the inclusion of precisely placed, odd metered measures in 7/4 and 10/4 that postpone the entrance of the Bridge and allow for interesting dynamic variations.
The Bridge section returns to 12/8 time at 220 beats per minute as seen in Section B, but deviates from the previous sections. The section opens with a long F# harmonic from the lead guitar which is eventually tied in to begin a solo. The rhythmic and chromatic improvisation within the guitar solo serves to contrast against the rhythm guitar and bass that outline inversions of a D Major chord and the drums that maintain a steady eighth-note pulse with intermittent cymbal crescendos. The dynamics increase steadily in intensity and volume, and build until the section finishes with a series of loud, coordinated hits on every third eighth-note, ending abruptly to reenter Section A.
The final appearance of Section A serves as a recapitulation to the opening motive. From a dynamic standpoint, the introduction of this last section immediately severs the loudness of the Bridge and once again the instruments are taken down to the same quiet level as in its first appearance. The main phrase is repeated ten times until Section A’ is once revisited and ends the song on an A where it began.
Step Four: The Sound-in-Time
The phenomenological aspects of this musical performance are fascinating in that they construct a certain circularity over the course of the song. A watery guitar line opens the song and much like a slow and winding river, the remaining instrumentalists enter together and immediately set out on a course. The vocals soon enter, nearly mumbling, and bobbing in and out of the cyclical, repeated musical backdrop that moves in steady waves. Like fish, the words move within and under the dreamy surface of the musical river, and are led along by its natural current. With no specific destination in sight, the music pulls along and guides the consistent, emotionless tone of the narration.
The song sighs for a moment as the music rests, and like the calm before the storm, a new, more ominous guitar line enters. The vocals pause in anticipation of the next move. In an instant, the band reenters with startling volume and “cold power,” as the river descends into a waterfall of swaying gravity. The vocals attempt to claw back against the musical onslaught of crashing cymbals and distorted, droning guitars, and the attrition is further established as the strained vocals reach higher, drawing out the words against the piercing lead guitar. Then, a sinister turn spirals into a new section of haunting, grainy dissonance as the vocals return a narration, repeatedly pausing between phrases as the band’s poisonous, held-out hits cloud the mixture. The second section is then repeated, revisiting the same strife as in the waterfall’s first appearance. In the subsequent return to the following theme, the band pulls at the tension and creates more space for the toxic clouds to spread. The vocals appear slightly intimidated and fade out early as if to surrender to the music’s deformed architecture.
The tension is slowly released as the song returns to a calm and cymbal crescendos and building guitar feedback wash over the surface. The water remains dark and rich with an introverted dissonance, and the absence of vocals suggests a period of self-reflection after a trying experience. In this moment the music is most sparse without sacrificing its ability to span the stereo spectrum. A fuzzy, disparate guitar solo enters, staggering wounded downstream as the musical waves around it gradually rise and increase in volume.
Clarity is abruptly regained as the instrumental levels are brought down, the water smoothens, and song returns to its opening theme. The vocals enter once again in the same emotionless tone, float along just beneath the musical repetition, and drop out to let the music wind down to an end. By this time, the river has run its course. The performance has come full-circle and can end safely with smooth control, letting the water settle peacefully.
Step Five: Musical and Textual Representation
The lyrics to Slint’s “Breadcrumb Trail,” as illustrated in Appendix A, describe in detail a day spent at the carnival. The piece opens with the narrator crossing the carnival lot in search of the “pirate ship,” but instead deciding to make his way towards an old blue tent. (For the sake of this analysis, the assumption is being made that the narrator is male, though the gender may not have been specified intentionally.) The short, direct sentences are rich with vivid descriptions and quickly establish a flowing, dreamlike quality to the action in the text. In some instances the narrator appears perfectly lucid, while in others he appears to be less in-control.
In the last two sentences of the first stanza, the narrator mentions, “As I walked toward [the tent], I passed a crowd of people at the sideshow. I couldn’t figure out why they would want to wait in line.” It is in this moment that the narrator declares his independence from the rest of the carnival-goers and sets out on his own personal adventure. In the following section, the narrator enters the tent to find a fortuneteller. He first accepts her offer to read his fortune, but quickly decides otherwise. In the final sentence he explains, “I thought about it for a minute, and asked her if she would rather go on the rollercoaster instead.” The decision to forgo the fortunetelling in favor of the more-exciting rollercoaster is another affirmation of the narrator’s individuality and in separating himself from the world he is able to be highly aware of both his own experience and his surroundings.
The narrator soon finds himself, “creeping up into the sky,” on the rollercoaster, then preparing for a large drop. He mentions, “The girl grabbed my hand, I clutched it tight,” marking the first moment in which the narrator connects with the nameless girl. Beyond physical contact, however, the couple is connected in that they are sharing an experience that, at least for an instant, seems to create a feeling of separation from the world they know. The section ends as the narrator somewhat humorously says “good-bye to the ground,” further developing the elevated, dreamlike quality of the scene and his role therein.
The couple flies above a wretched ticket taker and connects for a second time as the narration continues, “We stuck out our hands, and met the winds.” They disembark from the roller coaster and the girl “begins to heave,” much to the employee’s delight. This moment serves to return the subjects from their momentary escape from the world, grounding them once again in society.
In the final moments of the text, the narrator describes the couple’s walk “across the deserted lot, alone,” in which the two are able to absorb and reflect upon their journey. The narrator wishes the fortuneteller a goodnight and concludes, “The carnival sign threw colored shadows on her face, but I could tell she was blushing.” This final image seems to convey a sense of open-endedness between the subjects, and one of mutual admiration and attraction. Together, the two subjects are able to express themselves and appreciate the joy of life. The extent, scale, or length of their relationship is not as important as the fact that they are able to share a meaningful, personal experience on this day.
Step Six: Virtual Feeling
The most obvious virtual feelings that emerge out of “Breadcrumb Trail,” are deeply personal and individually derived, but that is not to say that the performance does not posses the potential for universal applicability. The song begins with a cyclical sense of uncertainty, as if we, the listener, are lost and retracing steps in an attempt to orient ourselves in unfamiliar territory. There is a sense of calm determination and dreamlike hope, as if we are simply floating through space, aware of our inability to control our fate. We are then struck abruptly with an overwhelming feeling of paranoid danger as the dimensions of our space seem to be closing in upon us. There is a shift, though slight, that reassures us in that we have not yet met the end, but have entered a twisted space we urgently try to escape. We are finally released and once again find ourselves floating, though this time alleviated and comforted. As the song ends, we are brought down from the clouds calm and unharmed. We leave more aware than ever of our own vulnerability having been trapped in a whirlwind of someone else’s stream of consciousness.
Step Seven: Onto-historical World
From a musical standpoint, much of Slint’s onto-historical world was addressed in Step Two of this eclectic analysis. Mainstream American rock music in the early 1990s was dominated by established heavyweights Guns ‘n’ Roses, Metallica, and U2, while future superstars Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam began to take over the airwaves with new forms of alternative rock. Underground and alternative styles of rock were also becoming more diverse than ever, and dozens of independent local music communities were beginning to flourish in cities across the United States.
1991 is a year that falls during an interesting period in United States and World history, both politically and culturally. At the time, George H. W. Bush was President of the United States and the country declared war against Iraq after its military invaded Kuwait, starting the Gulf War. The year also marks the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, two years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and a result, numerous Eastern European countries declared their independence. To many, these events meant the “end of history,” in that colonialism and imperialism in their traditional senses had effectively ceased, and that the world was free to reinvent and redevelop itself as coexisting, independent nations.
Bill Clinton was elected President in 1992 and served for two terms, during which the United States enjoyed global economic and cultural dominance. Moreover, communication mediums among the masses were becoming increasingly diverse, affordable, and pervasive in people’s everyday lives. Computer usage was not yet widespread, but advances in the production of consumer technology (i.e. audio cassettes, CDs, TVs, VHS cassettes) made it easier to spread information and cultural content. (It must be noted that the aforementioned diversity refers to the mode of communication, as it can be argued that ownership of mass media was becoming more consolidated with the growth of large corporations.) The creation of new styles and genres of music and art for which Slint and its generation are responsible can in many cases be attributed to this increased access to cultural content and information.
Step Eight: Open Viewings
A second open viewing of Slint’s “Breadcrumb Trail” uncovers a frustration towards the state of music, particularly punk rock, both on a national level and in the band’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Slint perverts hardcore as they twist and distort its essential compositional elements and characteristics to craft a unique outlet for their emotion and aggression. The performance and composition are both calculated and mature, and the contrasting dynamics between each section emphasize its cyclical structure. With each change the listener is pulled into a swirl of eerie, psychotic solitude, released, and pulled in again by “exploding tensions.”
In focusing more closely on the roles of the vocals in the performance, a certain duality is revealed. On a phenomenological level, the vocals may at times appear subservient to the music as they are noticeably lower in the mix, but in other instances they seem to react and respond to shifts in dynamics and sonic textures with empowered will. These moments of rebellion connect with the themes of nonconformity and self-discovery as expressed in the song’s lyrics, and thus the vocalist’s journey is made more apparent. Both the vocals in time and the lyrics’ narrator wind along the song’s jagged course in search of meaning and return enlightened.
Revisiting “Breadcrumb Trail,” after carrying out the first seven steps of Ferrara’s eclectic analysis does provide for a greater understanding of the performance, particularly the virtual feeling that it portrays. The sense of dreamlike alienation that emerges from the song can now in this second open viewing be attributed to the song’s musical syntax, phenomenology, historical considerations, and textual representation. Dissonance becomes an overarching theme across the entire work in every facet. While in the first open viewing the piece was at times difficult to understand and uncomfortable to listen to, a second viewing reveals beauty in the dark halo that surrounds the performance.
Step Nine: Performance Guide
In performing “Breadcrumb Trail,” there are several considerations that the musicians must take into account before proceeding. While in popular music, especially hardcore and punk, the performers’ engagement with the audience may in some instances take priority over minimizing flaws in the musical aspects of the performance, this is not the case for Slint. It must first be understood that in playing this piece, the primary goal of the performers is to achieve accuracy with regards to the sonic intricacies thereof. The group should aim to remain perfectly consistent in tempo and dynamics so as to emphasize the distinct attributes of each individual section. The instrumentalists should focus on coming together to create and complete sound, as opposed to maximizing or embellishing their individual performances. The vocalist should let the narration by led along by the music in order to most accurately represent the sound-in-time of the original recording, and must also be aware that they are not the center of attention and may seek an alternative stage positioning. In summary, the collective performers should work as a unit to recreate the sound recording as authentically as possible, focusing primarily on maintaining its dynamic and rhythmic alterations and bringing to light the phenomenological aspects that lie within.
Step Ten: Meta-Critique
Overall, I am very pleased with this eclectic analysis. It is strongest in its syntactical, phenomenological, and referential analysis, which provide detailed insight into “Breadcrumb Trail” as it relates to Slint’s ontology. Without having heard examples of punk and hardcore music that pre-dated Slint, however, it may be difficult to truly understand and appreciate their musical innovation. I also find the guide in Step Nine to be particularly helpful in understanding how to maximize each of the piece’s dimensions in a live performance setting. Recognizing and understanding the motives behind such a performance help to further grasp Slint’s primary goal as a band to create completely original music. What could have been stronger was the exploration of virtual feeling, which at times may relate too closely to the work’s phenomenological aspects. The performance is unique in its eeriness to the point that the listener may not know how to reckon with or express their emotions. I do believe, however, that all of these considerations, whether fully realized or not, do allow “Breadcrumb Trail” to achieve Ferrara’s sense of “being open,” and construct a thoughtful, critical, and appreciative evaluation of Slint’s musical masterpiece.
Download "Breadcrumb Trail"
Download Spiderland
Lyrics
I stepped out onto the midway. I was looking for the pirate
ship and saw this small, old tent at one end. It was blue,
and had white lights hanging all around it. I decided to check
out the tent, it seemed I could hear music coming from inside.
As I walked toward it, I passed a crowd of people at the sideshow.
I couldn't figure out why they would want to wait in line. I
pulled back the drape thing on the tent. There was a crystal
ball at the table, and behind it, a girl wearing a hat. She
smiled, and asked me if I wanted my fortune read. I said okay,
and sat down. I thought about it for a minute, and asked her
if she would rather go on the roller coaster instead.
Creeping up into the sky. Stopping, at the top and,
starting down. The girl grabbed my hand, I clutched it
tight. I said good-bye to the ground.
Far below, a soiled man. A bucket of torn tickets at his side.
He watches as the children run by. And picks his teeth. Spinning
'Round, my head begins to turn. I shouted, and searched the sky
for a friend. I heard the fortune teller, screaming back at me.
We stuck out our hands, and met the winds.
The girl falters as she steps down from the platform. She
clutches her stomach, and begins to heave. The ticket-taker
smiles, and the last car is ready. Who told you that you
could leave?
The sun was setting by the time we left. We walked across
the deserted lot, alone. We were tired, but we managed to smile.
At the gate I said goodnight to the fortune teller. The
carnival sign threw colored shadows on her face, but I could
tell she was blushing.
References:
Texas Birth Records http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/20902?c=search&first=David&last=Pajo
Maginnis, Tom. "Breadcrumb Trail." http://www.allmusic.com/song/breadcrumb-trail-t2063062
Links:
Slint on Wikipedia
Slint on AllMusic
Slint on Last.fm
Breadcrumb Trail: An Eclectic Analysis by Michael E. Greene is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at slintbreadcrumbtrail.blogspot.com.
