Album Reviews

THE BICYCLE THIEF
You Come and Go Like a Pop Song
(Artemis)
On "Cereal Song," from the Bicycle Thief's You Come and Go Like a Pop Song, former/current Thelonious Monster frontman Bob Forrest laments about his former paramour, heroin and cocaine: "Where has it got me...I'm 35 years old now...work in a fuckin' restaurant." A true testimonial. Telling it like it is has always been Forrest's stock in trade, and here he hits the mark like never before. He's made the most brilliant, beautiful and consistent record of his life, evidence of a true artist. The piercing observations and wisecracking humor of an outsider looking in, upside down and sideways are more clearly focused than ever. Despite the despair and loneliness chronicled in Forrest's songs there is an underlying feeling that everything is going to be all right, due in large part to the supernatural production, spectacular playing and clever arrangements. Recorded on a small budget and originally released in 1999 by Goldenvoice Recordings, this is also the most sonically enticing record Forrest has ever made in his career. You Come and Go Like a Pop Song is an inspiring record from someone who has lived to tell about the agony and horror of addiction, the astonishing behavior of people and himself, and what's it like to come in at 4 am and listen to Irma Thomas over and over again. Hopefully the Bicycle Thief is on the road to a happy destiny. Brad Rice

For fans of: Thelonious Monster, Paul Westerberg, Lou Reed

ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Zoom
(Epic)
While it's credited to Electric Light Orchestra, Zoom is more precisely a Jeff Lynne solo album, as he not only wrote and produced it, as has always been his custom, but also performed 95% of it himself. So those expecting the return of the b(r)and's lush, strings-saturated 70s sound—or their equally lush, synth-dominated style from the 80s, for that matter—will be disappointed. There's more of the rootsiness of the Traveling Wilburys than the old-style ELO sound, though Lynne's Beatles fixation is in full swing, of course. Zoom fits better alongside Lynne's work with Tom Petty and George Harrison than next to Out of the Blue. All of which doesn't necessarily matter much; while this may not be an ELO album in the classic sense, it's still a beautifully listenable collection of superbly crafted pop songs. Lynne has always been a master melodist, and he's in full command of his gifts here. "State of Mind," "Just For Love," "Ordinary Dream" and "Lonesome Lullaby" will flip every switch on a pop fan's pleasure box, and the leadoff tracks "Alright" and "Moment in Paradise" are exactly what you want to hear coming out of the radio speakers. The guitar-heavy arrangements, with keyboards and strings working as accents rather than focus points, suit these songs perfectly, and Lynne's singing has never been better. Zoom is quite simply an excellent pop record. Michael Toland

For fans of: George Harrison's Cloud Nine, Swag, Ray Paul

LUCYFIRE
This Dollar Saved My Life at Whitehorse
(Oblivion/Steamhammer/SPV)
Tiamat leader Johan Edlund apparently doesn't have enough to do, so he started a new band. Lucyfire's debut This Dollar Saved My Life at Whitehorse (title courtesy of Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge) strikes quite a different note than Tiamat's intensely dark art metal, though both bands have Gothic roots in common. Lucyfire is the project in which Edlund lets his hair down (or would if he had any), with a song cycle exploring different aspects of the rock star dream. That's sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll to the layman. "Baby Come On," "Automatic" and "Thousand Million Dollars in the Fire" may not be profound art, but they're not meant to be. The startlingly melodic hooks, dance-friendly beats and crunching power chords, not to mention the tongue waggling in Edlund's cheek, make it clear that we're in the bright realm of pure, decadent entertainment here. And if Edlund's impish aural grin doesn't send the message, his bizarrely conceived but undeniably effective cover of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" surely will. This Dollar Saved My Life at Whitehorse may be no more than Goth pop bubblegum, but it sure is fun to chew. Michael Toland

For fans of: Sisters of Mercy, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Peter Murphy

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Poses
(DreamWorks)
Love him or hate him (and there's a case to be made for both positions), Rufus Wainwright deserves respect for at least one thing: he sounds like no one else. His unique blend of confessional singer/songwriter pop, Gilbert & Sullivan opera and classical art song stands out from the rest of the contemporary music world like a rutabaga in a doughnut shop. Poses refines the sound he introduced on his self-titled coming out party. There's a bit of electronic seasoning and a slight move away from the cabaret, but no radical changes. Shades of light and dark and his distinctive, spicy tenor move silkily through unabashed pop tunes ("Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," "California") and arty ballads ("In a Graveyard," "The Consort") with easy grace. There's a mature tone to this album; Wainwright isn't as apt to succumb to a love-induced swoon this time. As a result, Poses is more consistent than Rufus Wainwright, but while there's nothing as dull as the worst of that album, there's not really anything that scales its heights either. Still, it's consistently pleasurable listening and a worthy followup to his acclaimed debut. Michael Toland

For fans of: Harry Nilsson, Ben Folds, Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach's Painted From Memory

M. WARD
End of Amnesia
(Future Farmer)
"Homespun" might be a good adjective to describe the latest album by Portland-based singer/songwriter M. Ward. End of Amnesia sounds like it was recorded in your kitchen after a good meal. There's a loose, amiable quality to the mostly acoustic arrangements of these songs. Nothing sounds by any means thrown together, but obviously Ward kept a casual air about him during recording. The approach fits Ward's gently melodic, quietly intense tunes quite well. There's an intimacy here that major label singer/songwriters could never achieve with a 96-track studio. Cuts like the lovely "Psalm," the catchy "So Much Water," the rocking "Flaming Heart" and the evocative instrumental "Sermon, 1989" resonate strongly like late-night waking dreams, obsessing the consciousness at dawn. Unlike dreams, however, End of Amnesia will not so easily fade from memory. Michael Toland

For fans of: Giant Sand, Pete Krebs, the Scud Mountain Boys