With the lead performer calling herself “Zooey Deschanel”, my hopes were not high. Surprise! The over-reverbed lyrics grew
on me and fit the instrumentals quite nicely. Imagine Jenny Lewis replacing Hope Sandoval in Mazzy star, only with better
lyrics. Deschanel doesn’t sing as well as Lewis, but has a much better grasp of lyrics. The best record I’ve heard in
almost 2 years (A-)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
After a couple of interesting albums in the 90’s (last one: To Bring You My Love) I sort of lost interest. However, our
Polly soldiered on, and with the help of her old collaborator, Johnny Parish, she has produced a totally un-commercial
recording of some interest. She still emits atonal squawks, but the minimal use of instruments (ukulele, for example) make
it bearable. (B)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
Here, John-Boy does a bunch of covers with one original. For the most part he (and his band) sound like a less twangy Randy
Travis. Except for one song (the lone original, natch) this could be Joe Blow and the Hayseed Serenaders at the local C&W
guzzle shop. Except for the Ricky Nelson whiner, “Garden Party”, these are mostly forgettable (B-)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
This outfit deals up mildly interesting instrumentals mixed with idiotic lyrics. At times the cheeziness of the keyboards
is appealing - but all it ends up doing is seeming like second rate Manu Chao (B-)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
The Gallagher brothers had their period of fame in the mid 90’s. Then, they were mostly forgettable. With the passage of
years, improvement seems to have been forgotten. Here they have nuthin’ to say (but they do it with a maximum amount of
angst!) The band playing at the bottom of a rainbarrel doesn’t help either. (C)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
After their first commercial success “A Rush of Blood to the Head”, our playboys degenerated into total crud. Here, they
continue in that vein with yowls of whack lyrics over totally rhythymless mush. Except for the U2-esque “Lovers in Japan”
(some complement!) the songs are completely forgotten an hour after play (C-)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
Some people love this guy, but for some reason I have never heard him (until now.) And a good thing too. This can be
described as the worst of Tom Waits (say Heart Attack & Vine) doing 60’s Dylan (say Highway 61 Revisited) with a big whack
of Mickey Spillane. Naturally, this thing is loved by Ann Powers (she of “ain’t Chris Cornell the absolute greatest”.) So,
if you are a lover of extreme horseshit this thing may be for you. I’ll call it a candidate for the worst of the year. (D-)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
After listening to the first track “My Sword Hand’s Anger”, I had high hopes for this BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE spinoff.
Unfortunately, after that it was all downhill as the rhythm became as chaotic as the lyrics became moronic (C)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
Can you imagine KLAUS NOMI performing in a Jodorowski movie (say El Topo) where the band plays Herb ALPERT in an insane asylum? If these guys didn’t have too many THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS tendencies and were a bit more over the top I could be a fan. Some people (izzat you K. P.) could be infatuated with their over-the-top idiocy. I’m not so sure (B-)
P. S. a better choice for album jacket would be the first STRING DRIVEN THING recording from 1972.
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB
With a name like this, the smell of pretension overwhelms. This thing is stuck between punk influences (boo) and Artsy
pretentiousness (hmmm.) I could listen to Relative Ways and (maybe) Monsoon again and not be overly irritated. however, if
I had to listen through the punk section again, I would throw up (C+)
Posted by scratch / THE NATTERING NABOB