ALBUM REVIEW — THE DANDY WARHOLS

The Dandy Warhols

This Machine

(The End)

After a pair of albums that blasted off into outer-space artiness, the Dandy Warhols shelve most of the extraneous goop in favor of a stripped-down set for their eighth LP. Too bad it really doesn’t help much. These Portland, Oregon, indie rockers have always invested in their myth way more than they should. Just check out the 2004 documentary Dig! to get the scope of frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s ego and self-importance. This Machine isn’t as stuffy as the past few Dandy Warhol albums, but not much really sticks with you in the end. The post-punk throb that drives opener “Sad Vacation” and the mournful ballad “Well They’re Gone” manage to rise a little above the clatter and uneasy sound of a band making noise for the sake of it. But This Machine mostly grinds its gears in an attempt to put the earth-bound music in reverse.