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The Jack McCoys - All The Weeping Cameras
Sometimes the best albums are the ones that grow on you; having to put a little effort into something makes it more enjoyable when it finally pays off. All the Weeping Cameras by the Jack McCoys is one of those albums. It initially comes across as bland, generic indie-pop with jangling guitars and warbling vocals total REM rip-offs. But because I have so damn much journalistic integrity, I was obligated to give this album another shot, which ended up paying off in the long run. All the Weeping Cameras is an experimental pop album, in the sense that the songs have traditional structures and melodies but are dressed up with exotic instrumentation and odd sounds. This method is similar to the last couple of Flaming Lips albums, but while the Flaming Lips layer programmed drums, harps, choirs, and sound effects to the extent that the songs end up sounding like cartoon soundtracks, the Jack McCoys are much more subtle. A tasteful saxophone squeal on Amelia, tinkling call-and-response xylophone and piano on The Art of Sleeping, the feedback guitar leads throughout these are the touches that make even the less successful songs on this album somewhat interesting. The instrumentation throughout is solid, with particularly well-played guitar parts (though these are occasionally mixed too quiet). The closest sonic comparison I can think of is Modest Mouse, with their modern take on traditionally American sounds, the slide guitars and ringing artificial harmonics on The Art of Sleeping sticking out in particular. However, the Jack McCoys are less raw and spare in their production and more traditional in their songwriting. The Jack McCoys greatest strength and biggest weakness is their singer. Hes got a very distinctive voice that comes across as quavery and anxious. The closest comparison is Ed Kowalczyk from Live, although he generally stays clear of the overemotive histrionics of that singer. He audibly gasps for air between lines, and its kind of cool that they decided to leave that in the mix. Generally, the songs that work are the ones that have a strong vocal melody: the album sags in the middle, when the singer blabs out wordy, tuneless lyrics over plodding rhythms that lead nowhere. However, the Jack McCoys have a fantastic opening anthem in Sinking in Sentences and Paragraphs, and Amelia is great because I cant figure out what the hell is going on, plus its less than three minutes long. There should be more short songs in general. And more long songs too. I think all songs should be less than three minutes or longer than ten minutes. I am for thrift or excess, but nothing in between. And since this review is now officially excessively long, I can permit myself to end it.
This album can be purchased at Ambiguous City Records LEFT OFF THE DIAL's Jack McCoys page About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
