The recitation of “Danny Boy” with a punkish sneer is often the grounds for divorce; ask how the Sex Pistols’ extolling of “My Way” ruined a generation on punk. Yet Sophie Weil mutates the force of nostalgia differently. The title track of Problem Child is a perverted attempt to reclaim some of that old smirking punk humor without disavowing the warm intent of the drunk lament. It’s the heart of the whole album, Weil viewing many musical cycles through a warped snow globe. Some work very well (the Mazzy Star psych isolation of “No Man Goes”) while others seem to do little to propagate the best of Weil’s ideas (the awkward electronic moans of “Sailor Song Pt. 1”). Yet the thick coat of snow laid onto the best of genres is a cold thicket worth enduring, digging out, and diving into. Problem Child is not a definitive statement of intent, but rather a clumsy pound at the door on a cold evening, asking for a quick shot of brandy and a playful noogie before sauntering back out into the howling winds and blizzard conditions. It’s not so much a problem child as a wiseass. Right now, the post-teen is in the phase of ignoring its inherent talent for the fun of vice. But soon Weil is going to wake up, realize her full potential and the world will take notice as it pleases. So we’ll hold onto Problem Child as ransom; to keep her cool just before celebrity rips her away from the youthful machinations that make this album fun and endearing.
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