It's easy to get caught up in the momentum of a staggering melody and let yourself be swept away. But when you touch back on ground again, what is left? This is often the problem with pop, a persuasion The Curtains belong to despite several hints to the contrary: It will rouse you from the roost while it's playing, but once the record is through spinning, you're left with the realization that you were conned; you were nefariously duped into liking a weak entity for its tonal window dressing. Those of you who have dated a shiftless bimbo know this feeling all too well (not that bimbos are 'tonal'; you know what I mean, dilbert).
Calamity has been 'wow'ing this reviewer for weeks, its contents often surfacing during long radio-less drives and plane rides. However, when you dig to the root of the matter, it is a highly flawed album that speaks more to future greatness than it does to present excellence. Yes, the melodies are maddeningly addictive. And they'd better be, 'cause ringmaster Chris Cohen's voice has the potential to be fingernails-on-chalk-board annoying. But what we have here is a failure to tie up the loose ends. For all its potential, intrigue, beauty, and pleasantries, it's obvious that Cohen could have plugged more of Calamity's leaks if his fingers weren't so busy filling the gaps on every instrument, from guitar to drums.
The problems start with the production, which feels empty and stolid, the guitar plunking around like it has nowhere important to go and the drums tap-tap-tapping out mundane, aimless little shuffle rhythms. These two snafu's alone damper the delight of absolutely fabulously written songs such as "Go Lucky" and "Fell on a Rock & Broke It," the latter so quirky and unassuming that you'll let a few hollow guitar figures slide. But with 13 tracks to maintain, prune, pluck, shave, and wax, Cohen sounds overwhelmed by his hairy project. Hire a band, for the love of Beck.
1. Go Lucky
2. Green Water
3. Wysteria
4. The Thousandth Face
5. World's Most Dangerous Woman
6. Tornado Traveler's Fear
7. Roscomare
8. Old Scott Road
9. Calamity
10. Invisible String
11. Brunswick Stew
12. Fell on a Rock & Broke It
13. Spinning Top
More about: The Curtains
