Coconut Records – Davy Review

14 January 2009, Carmen @ 6:00 pm Coconut Records Davy Review

Jason Schwartzman takes the genre of actor pop to a whole new level with his one-man band, Coconut Records. Swimming in talent and undeniably tongue-in-cheek, Nighttiming dominated indie playlists in 2008. It’s quite possible the newly released Davy will follow suit.

Marked by polished production that still keeps it loose and a number of complex, inventive arrangements, the song structures are heavily influenced by the work of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, with fragments of today’s popular instrumentation thrown in for good measure. The mostly up-tempo selections deal with similar arcs as Nighttiming. Disappointingly, nothing is quite as fun as “Minding My Own Business” or “Back To You”.

But the infectious “Microphone” is a strong start. Impressive strumming and drumming, a melody that lingers for days, and a singalong chorus score big points. Autobiographical and quirky, “Drummer” incorporates piano and hand claps that march along to a different beat. Horns reference Sgt. Pepper as Schwartzman philosophizes: “Isn’t that the way it goes?” “I Am Young” marries Harrison-style noodling to the beat of “Give Peace a Chance” with a splash of Asian influence – a song demanding answers and embodying the frustration involved with learning to let go.

The accusatory “Any Fun” is a drive down Abbey Road thanks to the bassline and a little help from its friends: tambourine, a pounding piano riff, and layered harmonies. “Saint Jerome” (the patron saint of translators, librarians and encyclopedists?) is a melancholy rumination on loneliness, and its lyrics spill from Schwartman’s lips like dominoes. The outro pulses with transcendence as Schwartzman sings the bewildering, “He wants to know what he doesn’t know / He doesn’t know what he wants to know”.

“Wandering Around” comments on the classic case of an ex calling you up just as you begin to feel that you are over the break-up. “The Summer” is coloured by uncertainty and longing for the past. Piano and playground sounds add to the feeling of regret, a story of not really living because you are immersed in missing someone.

Bluesy and honest, “Wires” weaves from hand claps to effects seamlessly, balancing on a well-trodden Ben Kweller-type melody. “Is This Sound Okay?” brings to mind “Little Locked Room” from Slackers. The organ and strings are “Strawberry Fields” reincarnated – the song swirls with insecurity.

“Courtyard” is a weak link in the chain, veering from major to minor. Schwartzman’s voice wavers against the sound of ghosts and chimes, while the strings and Wurlitzer incite visions of merry-go-rounds. The last line (“And I love you but I’d never tell you that”) is probably more revealing than even Schwartzman realizes.

MP3:
Coconut Records – Saint Jerome
Coconut Records – Wires
Coconut Records – Microphone

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