If It Weren't for Venetian Blinds It Would Be Curtains for Us All

• Artist: Piebald
• Rating:
• Release Date: May 20, 1999
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

The second LP from Massachusetts' emo outfit Piebald is a big step up from their debut, When Life Hands You Lemons. The 13-track effort contains a nice mix of the group's signature tongue-in-cheek humor as well as some slightly more serious topics like political activist Marcus Garvey, but regardless of the ideas represented, nearly every track is offered up in a pop-tinged hard-rocking style that is hard to ignore. Piebald's fondness for the perfect rock groove comes to the surface on this release as they experiment with everything from hard-to-follow time signatures to AC/DC-styled riffs, and the results work surprisingly well. Tracks like "Rules for Mules" and "Location Is Everything" are the some of the band's catchiest offerings, and the record as a whole features more hooks than a Top 40 record station usually has to offer. Lyrically, most of the work on Venetian Blinds also shows major improvement, and while lead singer Travis Shettel's penchant for hackneyed sayings and clichés is not totally out of the picture, he beefs up the content with a number of witty and more original observations. The rest of the group also represents themselves quite well, and the quality of playing as well as the recording itself shows a marked improvement from their previous musical forays. Venetian Blinds captures a band who seem very comfortable with their position in the rock pantheon, and while they don't necessarily break any fascinating new ground, their improved songwriting and presentation give this record a strong personality and some truly memorable musical moments. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Grace Kelly With Wings	Piebald	Piebald
We Believe in Karma	Piebald	Piebald
Mess With the Blues	Piebald	Piebald
Dirty Harry and the Thunderbolts	Piebald	Piebald
You Won't Be Seeing Me Again	Piebald	Piebald
Rules for Mules	Piebald	Piebald
Giddy Like a Schoolgirl	Piebald	Piebald
All You Need Is Drums to Start a Dance Party	Piebald	Piebald
If Marcus Garvy Dies, Then Marcus Garvy Lives	Piebald	Piebald
Still We Let It Choke Us	Piebald	Piebald
Mount Pleasant	Piebald	Piebald
Location Is Everything	Piebald	Piebald
Fat and Skinny Asses	Piebald	Piebald

Credits

Dean Baltulonis (Engineer), Bob Stuart (?), Ezra Ace (Photography), Tony Leone (Design), Bryan Sheffield (Photography), Dean Baltulonis (Mixing), Erik Zimmermann (Photography)