I’ve struggled with this disc. It defies classification, for one thing, bouncing easily from jazz, to lounge, to something approaching country. For another thing, it is laced with acid wit–lyrics that are funny, and often deep–shrouded by what sometimes sounds like novelty music. Like their tune, “Pirates of the Heart,” which sounds like Tom Waits minus the gravel, and “In My Car Again.” But then there’s the bluesy “Bossy Man,” which could be an old standard (until an odd break in the middle where “the band goes undercover”). This is some of the weirdest, but most fun, music I’ve heard in a while.
So why did I struggle with it? Because it’s hard to embrace the offbeat at first. But I swear, give this a chance and you won’t regret it.
Plus, Ethan Lipton‘s from Brooklyn, so there you have it.
Check it out.
