Customer Reviews

Undercard

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The duo comprising the Extra Lens, John Darnielle and Frank Bruno previously recorded together in 2002's Martial Arts Weekend as the Extra Glenns. Despite this ironic renaming it is probably best to think of Undercard as most similar to a Mountain Goats album of which Darnielle is the driving force of a sometimes solo project. While he has written over 500 songs, Darnielle has made himself surprisingly difficult to follow. I was fortunate to hear Undercard on NPRs First Listen and was quickly captivated by his highly literate folk-punk-pop lyrics and storytelling. The series of three songs starting with Adultery and ending in How I Left the Ministry moves the protagonist through an adulterous relationship and into a car crash and the Jaws of Life. The album takes its title idea of failure from the the boxing undercard as illustrated by the struggles and failures of the Cruiserweight remembering the food in prison and his current "bucket full of blood and dirty water". Similarly, the would-be film maker of Only Existing Footage concludes his lament with these words: ""Hold off the backers, put a notice in the press. Oblivion's been knocking since I gave it my address." With thoughtful and melancholic storytelling Darnielle touches on such failures as financial crisis in Rockin' Rockin' Twilight of the Gods and a failed suicide attempt in Some Other Way (...to make you love me.) Ambivalent Lanscape Z cleverly evokes the Cold War with fallout shelters and harvesters amidst the silos bearing both grain and (unstated) missiles resonating with personal angst.

Darnielle's voice and ironic presentation in the song How I left the Ministry remind me of the Decemberist's Colin Meloy and of course fans of Darnielle, Bruno and The Mountain Goats will enjoy this effort. For more info see the NPR First Listen story (review) on Undercard and the Merge Records site. As of Feb 3, 2011 the full album is still streaming at the Merge Records site. The LP with MP3 download coupon is also offered at the Merge site. Highly recommended for fans of ironic, melancholic music.

Pleasantly surprised by this hidden gem. I'm a big Goats fan, but this is my first purchase from the "Extra (G)Lens". Great writers and keeps that same Dardnelle feel throughout the entire album.