Pitchfork

John Vanderslice's narrative about a militant American's post-9/11 doubt already walks a very thin line between poignant and precocious. It didn't need any obnoxious signifiers to highlight its dramatic ambiguity. Like, for instance, some jerky quiet/loud contrast between verse and chorus. Or Alias' obnoxious DJ Shadowboxing beats replacing the original's tasteful guitar/mellotron interplay. Or Vanderslice's vocals floating tunelessly in this inert ether. The only time this remix hits its mark is when it most resembles the source text-- which means it's better to just queue up the original and let this sorry rendition tread water in the shallow end.