Random Thoughts From Josh: My Maudlin Career

Wow, so why is it that I had gone a good bit of time without having much to babble on about and now the muse has arrived recently? Dunno, but this is a music post so for any of you who have seen this movie before and want to get off the train now’s your chance.

For all of us still on board I would like to share that I’ve come upon the first new album in awhile from one of my perennial favorites that has completely captured me. This is a great relief because in the past year I’ve seen almost nothing but mediocre offerings from some of my favorites. Let’s think, now…Weezer put out an album with a couple fine tunes and a lot that was confusing. Ben Folds (who I’m seeing next month, btw) put out arguably his worst album of his fine career. Travis put forth a collection of well enough material but very little that was over the top for me. Oasis released their third straight, “Ahhhhhh…it’s not great, fairly listenable, but I don’t know if anyone is going to care in a year” type of album. And then just a month ago The Decemberists put out an album (“The Hazards of Love”) that I thought would be completely in my wheelhouse (a sprawling whimsical narrative complete with multiple characters and a layered story) that still hasn’t caught on with me. Although I will say I did really like Conor Oberst’s (of Bright Eyes) solo debut last summer so I’m not a complete hater.

So where is this all leading? Well it lead to me throwing down a few dollars to get the new Camera Obscura album, “My Maudlin Career”, and I wasn’t prepared to hear an album that related so many themes that hit home to me done in their timeless style that is so refreshing these days. Now the slightly ironic thing is that when compared to the bands listed above, I know so many more of my friends and people in my periphery would immediately identify any or all of the aforementioned before some indie-pop band from Scotland but they’re the real deal folks and it kills me that I run into person after person in my life who have no idea that such musical loveliness exists. Oh and reason #2,258 why I’m still single; I use words like “loveliness” in conversation and in prose (oh and I use the word prose).

Anyway their singer/songwriter, Tracyanne Campbell, not only has a distinctive and strikingly delicate, honest, yet evocative vocal style but her lyrics touch upon things that really have always stirred familiarity in me, at least relationally. Now I’ve never met her, and who knows as I will be seeing them for the first time come this June, and I can’t say what she’s gone through in her love life (although she admits her material is largely personal and comes from experience) but time and again I find myself completely relating to the themes she brings up. The Pitchfork review of the album brought up a point that, even though was directed at her writing but squares with me as well, struck to my heart. They wrote, “On one hand, she's a hopeless romantic. On the other, she's very cautious, and somewhat pessimistic. These contrary impulses create the tragically beautiful situations in her songs.” So I don’t know, I suppose it’s good to find a musical kindred spirit.

Well I’m not going to give you a total rundown on the album track by track although I will say that the entire work, save for one slightly meandering tune, is pretty consistent with gems throughout. I was hooked in the first ten seconds of lead single, and opening track, “French Navy” and it has mostly nothing to do with the fact that a library is mentioned in the first line (these are my people). This, as well as the previous album (2006’s “Let’s Get Out Of This Country”), is a work that mostly comes from someone searching their soul (a bit of a “breakup” album, really) and touching upon certain universals that we all kind of go through but without being poppy schlock (Poppy Schlock playing at Coachella next year…sorry, I can’t help it). Instead it’s genuine, honest, heartfelt (heartbreaking at times), and oddly uplifting. Anyway, it’s little more pop than other artists in my collection but it’s the good kind of pop. Tracyanne has a penchant for writing timeless, classicist, pop music that could have been written in any decade of the last 50 years which also means this is lasting stuff.

As for the clips below, the first is a great little piece done on British TV last week and has host Paul Morley (a long respected British music journalist) really getting to the heart and essence of this group. It’s really the best synopsis I’ve seen about a band in awhile. So at least take a look at that as well as the video for “French Navy” right under to get a feel for the album. The other clips I would suggest you explore as well but only if I’ve piqued your interest. Anyway, they’ve been a long time favorite, and I’m still perplexed as to why they’re a relatively obscure (no pun intended) band in these parts but knowing me, I sometimes prefer it that way. My hope is that maybe I’ve made a fan or two of Tracyanne’s work as she’s a really fantastic singer and songwriter who should be heard by more. Until next time…

Camera Obscura: A band beginning with C