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The City on Film

American Diary (2005)
Redder

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Contributed by: Jesse
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on December 6th 2005

WIth this six-song EP, Mr. Robert Nanna and friends (including members of Minus the Bear, a dog, and a broken bottle) bring you some of his most diverse songs put to disc. Proving himself as a prolific songwriter, Bob had alredy put out a full-length earlier in the year and toured both the U.S. and the U.K. Busy, busy, busy.

"Mary, I'm Ready" shows Bob's indie-folkie side with layered finger-picked guitars and faraway through bullhorn vocals. It's your sort of back-porch-on-a-summer-day-with-a-glass-of-lemonade song. Nah, scratch that. It's more of a lullaby than anything. This is an end-of-the-day-laying-in-bed-with-a-teddy-bear-lullaby.

"Pony's Last Trick" and "You're Gonna Need That Patience Soon" are what you'd expect in the way of full band City on Film songs: Melodic, poppy, and stripped down and simplified compared to Hey Mercedes or Braid, which isn't a bad thing. Most importantly, these songs as track two and track four, respectively, sandwich the countryish stomp of "Astray! Astray!" I say countryish, because Bob has a problem leaving his aging indie rock / folk hero songwriting out of anything he's ever done. Which isn't a bad thing either.

"Well It Goes Like This" is a slowed done, much more mature track with an almost R & B beat and soft picked electric guitars with an echoing phrase (try to guess what it is [hint: It's the title of the song]) over the top of it. I guess you might say it's Bob at his most Phil Collins, which isn't a bad thing. Following the progression of the album, it fits nicely as a transition between the upbeat "You're Gonna Need That Patience Soon" and the closer, "Conclusion," which is an instrumental mirror of "Mary, I'm Ready" that fades from doubled acoustic guitars to guitar and piano to just piano to doubled piano, proving that EPs too can be structured. Classy, Mr. Nanna. I like it.

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Anonymous (December 11, 2005)

pro-flif-ic? what the fuck?

Prolific-Latin (prolificus) To produce many. In artists terms
He/she were incredibly prolific with their works.

Good enough asshole?

---Trav.

Punkinohio (December 8, 2005)

NANNA BANANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous (December 8, 2005)

let's see how many of you are retards.

define 'proflific'

and... go.

Anonymous (December 8, 2005)

i've seen bob nanna on various shows like 3 times and was bored to tears each time. The dude's a legend, but this just doesn't do anything for me.

Anonymous (December 8, 2005)

the art is lame.

-Sirens

Anonymous (December 8, 2005)

I don't think Bob Nanna can release a bad record.

Russe11 (December 8, 2005)

Im digging this, which sure isn't a bad thing

Anonymous (December 7, 2005)

There's a City on Film / Minus the Bear split 7" that rules as well.

- Kirby

plaidical (December 7, 2005)

this one got by me, I had no idea it was coming out.
2 things. has anyone else seen Nanna modeling t-shirts over at Threadless? funny stuff
also, The City on Film is coming to my school next quarter. word

Anonymous (December 6, 2005)

I would have so much mansex with Bob Nanna, but sadly something just seems lacking with this EP.

The full length is absolutely amazing though, so I am not too worried about future releases.

k-dubs (December 6, 2005)

nanna, even

k-dubs (December 6, 2005)

bob nana > you.

steveman (December 6, 2005)

I miss Braid, but City On Film rocks my fucking socks. Bob is such a nice guy and definetly "prolific". Everything I've heard from him has been good or great.

benz (December 6, 2005)

Hahah, score is for the "This shit is B. Nanna's" comment.

Bob Nanna is always a dude in my book.

love, benz

Anonymous (December 6, 2005)

love it

but i love the full length more

and i miss hey mercedes ;[

Anonymous (December 6, 2005)

This shit is B. Nanna's.

Anonymous (December 6, 2005)

I cannot wait to hear this!!! I

kirbypuckett (December 6, 2005)

I love this release so-so much! It's like the full-length x 50!

- Kirby

Anonymous (December 6, 2005)

Anything this man does is fucking flawless. Total genius.

- Thee Gibson

inagreendase (December 6, 2005)

I heard this was "more rock" and jumped at the thought. It's true for a few tracks, but has the makeup of the full-length -- which I like a bit more -- for the most part.

Regardless, this dude is the definition of prolific lately.