Infinity Plus

by Lois

Overview

Lois' fourth album and last for the K imprint, Infinity Plus was one of three (including Snapshot Radio and the Ship to Shore EP with Dub Narcotic Sound System) in a flurry of Lois material released in the fall of 1996. It follows in the singer's humble tradition of spare, acoustic indie pop, performed with gaunt instrumentation and recorded in a stark, bare-bulb, four-track style. Almost calculated in its initial up-/down-tempo song alternation, the album seems to favor a grand sense of the verse-chorus-verse progression. But, in spite of such a conventional approach to sequencing, the album succeeds on the strength of Maffeo's songs and her savvy choices in collaborators -- Maffeo seems to know exactly who to tap for which song to enhance it just enough without overwhelming her. Low's Alan Sparhawk makes a bed of characteristically beautiful guitar for Lois' voice to sleep in on "A Summer Long" and Elliott Smith lends his soft security blanket of a voice to perfectly back up Lois on "Rougher." Seemingly at odds with her entire oeuvre, Lois openly reviles minimalism on one of Infinity Plus' standout tracks, the thrill-is-gone realization of "Not Funny, Ha-Ha": "Who the f*ck said/Less is more/'Cause you don't/Make me feel funny anymore." However, the remark is telling -- just as the Beat Happening/K Records school of heart-rending twee pop was finally giving way to experimentation and a wider musical scope, Infinity Plus was Lois' fitting goodbye to bedroom-recording aesthetics, skeletal arrangements, and her longtime record label. Thankfully, her winning collaborative instincts and charming in-and-out-of-love songs weren't thrown out with the bath water. ~ Bryan Carroll

Product Details

Release Date:	10/08/1996
Label:	K. RECORDS
UPC:	0789856105823

Tracks

1. Rougher
2. Sunrise Semester
3. 2 Hearts
4. R.S.V.P.
5. Not Funny, Ha-Ha
6. Capital A
7. A Summer Long
8. Silent Auction
9. Bridge Burner
10. Lucky in a Way

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lois   Primary Artist
Elliott Smith   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Lois Maffeo   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Alan Sparhawk   Guitar (Electric)
Brendan Canty   Organ,Tambourine,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Steve Wold   Engineer,Mixing
Steve Fisk   Mixing
Elizabeth Smart   Composer
Calvin Johnson   Mixing,Engineer
Chris Toliver   Photography