This will surely go down as the quietest album of the year. There is still a romanticism in the void, if you're into the rhythmless folksiness.Many of the songs deal with the boys and girls of this world coming out into nature - down to the pines, down to the shore - to take their chances with each other. There are some string sections to swell the heart, but it's mostly in the lower trenches of first E string that feels like a lone candle in a dark room.
If this were on the background, I might have felt completely bored with this. But paying attention, it really does settle into a groove and swelters. "Wide Lovely Eyes" feels like a Tom Waits' "Hold On" kind of hopefulness. "We Real Cool" is simply hot. It's bass underlay feels like Twilight Singers' "Waves" except it never explodes. It stays even until its a sweat puddle on the sheets. There's even an epic. "Jubilee Street" feels like something taht Lou Reed would base a play around.
There are some to possibly push away. At eight minutes, "Higgs Boson Blues" is basically as fine as Jubilee, but overstays its welcome by about double. And the curious "Mermaids" for some reason starts out with "I was the match that would fire up her snatch / I was fired from her crotch, now I sit around and watch".
But those are small issues in a record that would have been a perfect fireside winter record. Nonetheless, will heat up your spring. (4 of 5 stars)
No comments:
Post a Comment