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Silver Jews

Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

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by Ruben_James on 06/13/2008

David Berman’s always had a great sense of humor. But, humor in music is a fine line to walk. He’s also continually had that dark side that’s balanced the jokester in him. And I’m not going to go into the substance abuse, mental health and stage fright that every other reviewer will. You know the story. Rightly so, Berman’s been a darling of the indie music press and his back-story has added drama to overly-wordy reviews and essays dissecting every witty lyric.

Berman opens Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea with his best Haven Hamilton impression on “What Is Not But Could Be If” with vocals that sound tattered and strained to stay in key. (You know Haven Hamilton. He’s the Napoleonic country music patriarch of Robert Altman’s Nashville.) This, at first, seemed a little shocking, but, intentional or not, fitting as he laments, “When failure’s got you in its grasp / And you’re reaching for your very last / It’s just beginning.”

Lookout’s pulse quickens when “Aloyisius, Bluegrass Drummer” kicks in. You see, there are no drums in bluegrass, so poor old Aloyisius is irrelevant. These subtle observations are when Berman’s at his best. “Suffering Jukebox” follows, and while certainly not subtle, its “tear in my beer” sentiment builds on the outcast theme of “Aloyisius.”

Fifteen minutes in, Berman’s at his most melancholy on “My Pillow Is The Threshold,” before the clouds lift with standout tracks like the anthemic “Strange Victory, Strange Defeat” (MP3) and the breezy “Open Field” (a cover that I can't say I'm more than 30 seconds familiar with). But, the last leg of Lookout is where it nearly falls apart into scholarly novelty. With several story songs that come closer to a well-read and more intelligent Ray Stevens than the Berman of ten years ago, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea lays the slapstick on thick. Dare I say hokey? It’s certainly the intellectual kind, and “Candy Jail” and “Party Barge” can’t really be compared to “Ahab the Arab” and “The Streak”... but, I guess I just did.

Lookout closes on a good note with “We Could Be Looking For The Same Thing,” but overall it’s just too much of a mixed bag to stand along side the Jews best work. It certainly isn’t bad, and it’s never fair to compare once great artists to their former selves (i.e., Guided by Voices and Pavement). Once great doesn’t discount the fact that they are now merely good. But, the fact is, it’s hard not to... and, I guess I just did.

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One of my personal favs is from American Water's "Random Rules": "I know you like to line dance. Everything's so democratic and cool. But baby there's no guidance when random rules." It's hard to go wrong with any lyric on that album.

Posted by Ryan on 06/16/2008

my favorite lyric which begins with the clever/jokey Silver Jews, and reins it in into something poetic and meaningful is from "Trains Across the Sea" on Starlite Walker: "In 27 years, i've drank 50,000 beers, and they just wash against me like the sea unto the pier."

Posted by jimtarnation on 06/16/2008

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My Mixtape Strange Victory, Strange Defeat [MP3]

Album Details

Year: 2008
Label: Drag City
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Tracklist

1	What Is Not But Could Be If
2	Aloysius, Bluegrass Drummer
3	Suffering Jukebox
4	My Pillow Is The Threshold
5	Strange Victory, Strange Defeat
6	Open Field
7	San Francisco B.C.
8	Candy Jail
9	Party Barge
10	We Could Be Looking For The Same Thing

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