Fans of the exceptionally broad and vague indie sub-genre “orchestral pop” are patient people. For every pristine example of well-orchestrated perfection, there’s a lot of wading through self-absorbed songwriting by people who think throwing an uninspired string section in the mix will mask their musical weaknesses. As rewarding as the hunt can be, it gets exhausting. Because an orchestral pop trophy like Buschovski comes along so infrequently, it's hard not to be overwrought when discussing this self-titled, self-released record. But I am going to attempt to stay away from overwroughtness; since you’ve probably never heard of Buschovski, using overly emotional, hyperbolic language will only up your already high level of skepticism.
Buschovski’s leader and songwriter Todd Busch has a thing for life’s sinister side. Luckily, his penchant for obsessing over the dark elements of humanity manifests itself in popular song -- ornate, theatrical popular song. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, the usually solitary Busch has been writing prolifically for the better part of a decade and has, in the last year or so, started to build a band of musicians capable of bringing his vision to life. Now a nine-piece mini-ensemble of stellar performers (including Vetiver member Brent Dunn on cello), Buschovski has finally released a studio album that captures the beauty and energy of their live shows. These recordings balance the past and present, both musically, with a sound that borrows heavily from German cabaret and occasionally 1970s rock opera, and content-wise, via love and war -- two of the most destructive forces known to mankind.
The album begins with “Election Day” which starts with a simple piano line and quickly erupts into a driving, examination of patriotic ambivalence and reconciliation post 9-11: “When the towers fell we were scared of life/ But life is what you get/ Yes I’m a lost spirit floating here/ And I’ll give you all my love if I stay/ On election day.” On “Ghost,” a gorgeously haunting love song evoking Chet Baker’s more heartbreaking moments, Busch accepts that saving a doomed relationship is impossible and metaphysical: “I’m possessive/ In the physical/ But you’d be possessed by me/ In a way that’s meaningful/ If I were a ghost.” The album moves seamlessly through the 11 songs, each one perfectly in place and fully realized. Throughout, the horrors of World War II meet the absurdity and unnecessary destruction of our present-day war on terror, while the haunting memories of lost love wrestle with the reality of current-day relationships. There is no filler, just brilliantly orchestrated moments of pop perfection that serve as musical postcards exchanged between past and present.
1. Election Day
2. Soldier In Iraq
3. Suicide Bomber
4. Ghost
5. Private Investigators Don’t Cry
6. Merry Christmas Time
7. Pegasus
8. Death By The Rope
9. Mala Z
10. Nationality
11. Kick That Leg
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