[review 2008: half-measures and quiet victories]

You’ve mastered hammer-ons and used them to make actual songs instead of nightmarish strings of metal solos. You’ve convinced Zach Hill to become your mentor and explosive drummer. You shriek with the power of a possessed valkyrie. (Note to music writer self: what exactly is that supposed to sound like, anyways? Figure that out before you toss out another ridiculous simile.) You’ve destroyed crowds using nothing more than the power of your guitar and your iPod for backup. And all of this you’ve accomplished in just one album. So what do you, Marnie Stern, do for an encore?

This Is It and I Am It… takes Stern in a less confrontational—maybe even more contemplative?—direction. Lacking are the most obvious signs of insanity like “Grapefruit,” Stern’s breakneck-pace proof of concept. But the trade-off is there are also fewer tracks that sound more like advanced guitar showcases than actual songs; especially during the first half, Stern does a great job of using her six-string wizardry to service the needs of the song. As a result, “Ruler” and “Shea Stadium” turn into some of the loudest, most overtly metal-influenced dreampop songs you’ve ever heard. It’s an unexpected but welcome twist.

Not that Stern’s lost her edge at all; “Transformer” and “Roads? Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads” should put you off that idea. But even the more aggressive songs retain a certain artfulness; “The Package Is Wrapped” even has a bit of a groove to it. The only real downside to the album, then, is that for all of Stern’s expansion into new territory, it’s still a bit of a niche product—she hasn’t become a pop star overnight, unless you have some strange ideas about what constitutes a pop star. But if you’re already in the right headspace—say, an owner of Stern’s first album—This Is It and I Am It… builds nicely on the original blueprint.