I have a soft spot for shambolic jam records, but I find this a bit monotonous (one of the hazards of writing on the subject of tedium, as a couple of these are) and a little too sloppy in execution, almost as if it was the band’s first run-through of material they didn’t much care for. Spontaneous indifference can be charming (it worked for Pavement) but here I much prefer the more considered performances and uncluttered mixes.
Cats Eyes is a good example with its clean guitars, endearingly vulnerable vocal (a little like Brandon Flowers), and drums which put me in mind of a restrained Keith Moon, if that’s even possible. DWP Blues was another standout, although the David Walliams-esque spoken voice section prompted me to check if the album wasn’t recorded 20 years ago. Kiss My Lips swings enjoyably (I’d prefer fewer spasms on the slide), and the Zeppelinish acoustic Heart on Fire’s mix draws me in with its slightly buried vocals (I’d prefer less reverb on the guitar). (I feel mean to be picking nits, but what’s the point of a diplomatic review?) Perhaps the best track is Heath Ledger’s Canoo, which plays to his strengths as an improviser. Oddly it’s one of the tidiest arrangements, dunno if the band was improvising too or if it was layered up afterwards. I like his voice as a singer and as a writer, but the aesthetic of this record isn’t to my taste: I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
5/10.
