Mediocrity in its many forms can often be compelling. Luke Doucet’s new album, Street City Trawler, is impressive mostly in its lukewarm consistency. Each song has a slightly different tempo and style, as well as the beginning of a hook that disappoints you just as you realize it leads to nothing. The production is solid and the simple, pop-driven structures propel each song forward from bridge to chorus, but Doucet has made an album with a solid foundation on which he built very little.

It’s difficult to truly create an accurate sense of music through words, but Doucet makes it relatively easy, masterfully evoking the verbal equivalent of his mediocre music with his lyrics: He fills space with a lot of “sugar, sugar” background vocals; waters down rock-&-roll angst to a “phase that’s been doggin’ [his] days”; and has found it worthwhile to let us know what vague types of people “make the world go ‘round.”

The highlight of the album, which rises only slightly above any other, is the single “The Ballad of Ian Curtis.” Though surprisingly refreshing that Doucet avoided cheap melodrama, his juxtaposition of upbeat pop with heartbreaking subject still falls short. The lyrics’ offhand reference to Curtis’ suicide and epilepsy (“the rope will be the death of me / if the shakes don’t do it first”) is disarming, unexpected, clever, and, like the song itself, the closest the album gets to being noteworthy.

From here, it’s a mishmash of genres and references too bland to be called homage and too harmless to be called out as imitations: “You Gotta Get It” pilfers some lesser Tom Petty from “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” “Magpie” mellows-out with some Elliott Smith-sounding, whispery vocals, and the warm harmonies that fill out “Monkeys” are just uninspired enough to evoke an adjective as meaningless as “Beatles-esque.”

In the end, what individualism is forced into these songs by an extra-bluesy guitar here or a driving piano there dissolves into a hybrid of already too-safe indie-pop bands from a few years ago. I could imagine any of the songs buried within some music magazine’s monthly CD sampler around 2000, and even back then I think it would have simply triggered an excitement that something better would come out in ten years.

Words by Taylor Hobson

www.lukedoucet.com

TheWaster.com | North of the Border
08.27.2010

Originally recorded in the late 2000’s, Dark Night of the Soul found its official release in early July of this year after label disputes with EMI were settled. The album’s main contributor, however, was not alive to see his final masterpiece hit record store shelves. Sparklehorse frontman, Mark Linkous teamed up with Danger Mouse, and a slew of rock’s most noted musicians, to create this 13-track super album. Linkous committed suicide on March 6, 2010.

A whirlwind of dark, mysterious and depressing emotions, Dark Night of the Soul, proves yet again why Danger Mouse continues to keep rock n’ roll fresh. But it’s not Danger Mouse who steals the show in this outing – he takes a back seat, allowing each collaborator to shine through on each track.

Black Francis AKA Frank Black of the Pixies takes a trip down memory lane with his 90’s grunge ballad “Angel’s Harp.” Similarly, Iggy Pop’s rugged, rebellious attitude leads the track “Pain” as he sings about Jesus Christ and his struggles.

However, Dark Night also shows off a softer side. Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle bites off a chunk of his 90’s pop endeavor and throws it into the mix on “Jaykub” and “Every time I’m with You.” Meanwhile, Julian Casablancas' “Little Girl” follows the same structure as a late Beatles song, complete with a sharp George Harrison-like guitar solo.

The album also finds a way to incorporate an experimental feel to it with “Revenge”, collaboration with The Flaming Lips. Likewise, filmmaker David Lynch (Mulholland Dr., Blue Velvet) plucks his surreal style of writing from the screen and dumps it on “Star Eyes (I Can’t Catch It) and “Dark Night of the Soul.”

Although each track on the album features a different collaborator, Mark Linkous receives writing credit on each track, and his manic, pain-suffering lifestyle finds a way to peak through on each song. Even the pop tracks display a hint of darkness, which is fitting for an album whose title is a Christian metaphor for a phase in a person’s spiritual life, marked by a feeling of loneliness and desolation.

Danger Mouse’s most recent project, Broken Bells, is currently on tour supporting their debut full-length – another feature on the Danger Mouse resume. So maybe it’s no surprise that James Mercer makes his way into the credits on “Insane Lullaby,” the lost Broken Bell’s B-side. But the real question on my mind, and I’m sure is on yours, is what’s next for Danger Mouse? So far he hasn’t let us down yet, and for some strange reason, I feel that this is only the beginning.

Words by Alex Napoliello

www.dangermousesite.com

TheWaster.com | Burton
08.22.2010