Local Music Blog: The Fat Lady Has Sung on Damon Albarn's Opera Attempt

The review-worthy new releases continue to come in threes!

And the release I really wanted to like was Englander Damon Albarn’s first attempt at opera. You have to root for this guy! In a vast American-Idol-induced bland musical wasteland, Mr. Albarn has always been willing to try something new.

He could’ve just sat on his Blur laurels, but instead Albarn created the innovative and immensely popular fictional cartoon character group, Gorillaz. Feel Good Inc. is one of my top 30 favorite songs and the video is phenomenal. He’s also worked with Massive Attack, De La Soul and a plethora of other acts.

Considering my love for opera and Mr. Albarn, I thought also loving Dr Dee (no period) was as sure a thing as enjoying yet another slice of Antonio’s Pizza. But alas, it was not to be.

I do like the tracks where Albarn takes the lead, but his voice couldn’t be considered operatic on his best day. On the other hand, when the British opera singers do come in, it’s so stilted and overwrought that the change in direction is likely to give you a bad case of whiplash.

Dr Dee, which was actually performed in Manchester last year, chronicles the life of Dr. John Dee, the British equivalent of Rasputin. A gifted mathematician who also believed in astrology, magic and the occult, Dee held “scientific” sway over several British monarchs even after being arrested by one.

It’s clear that Albarn finds him a fascinating, misunderstood and melancholy character.

But despite the perfect setup of musician, medium and matter, in the end, this is the first Damon Albarn project you should do your best to avoid. I’ll be happy to bide my time looking forward to his next effort.

Now it’s on to the LA based Silversun Pickups, a group that I believe will one day explode across the musical sky like a type 2A supernova. But it won’t be today.

There’s nothing quite like lead singer Brian Aubert’s compact, eerie, androgynous and ethereal voice. When he sings Panic Switch the fear is palpable. Add bassist Nikki Monninger’s back up vocals and you have a complementary duo the likes of which we haven’t seen since Simon and Garfunkel.

But the on-the-edge-of-your-seat intensity that stops just short of making you break into a cold sweat that sets Silversun Pickups apart is missing on Neck of the Woods. At times, it’s actually kind of dull and plodding.

Never a band to shy away from the dark side, their attempts to build suspense fall flat and it’s almost as if, knowing they were falling short, the group tried to make up for it during production with an often white noise instrumental attack.

While we certainly don’t want to get in the habit of typecasting groups, I like Silversun Pickups for who they are because when they try to be somebody else, it doesn’t work. Avoid this one, too.

Just when you think this week is a total lost cause, an album that came along with no expectations saves the day—despite the fact it’s getting raked over the coals by those other critics.

Keane’s fourth album, Strangeland, not only fails to disappoint, but the soaring harmonies make me long for a time when mainstream music wasn’t produced in a cloning laboratory.

You probably remember the pride of East Sussex for Somewhere Only We Know, the megahit from their debut album, Hopes and Fears.

As I frequently like to say, there’s nothing groundbreaking here, but if everything were groundbreaking then nothing would be. Strangeland is a perfect example of a band doing what they do best.

You know I’m a sucker for soaring harmonies and the second track, Silenced by the Night, certainly fits that bill. If Sovereign Light Café doesn’t make you want to grab your significant other, put on your finest clothes, and hit the town hard, then you don’t have a pulse. On the Road ain’t bad either.

Especially considering you can download Strangeland from Amazon for five bucks (when this column was written), I will definitely recommend it.

Next week, in what will come as no surprise, we have three more! Beach House, Best Coast and one that truly intrigues me, a set of instrumental music from guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana.

Until then, you’ll probably find me trying to work off the calories from all the amazing food at the 60 Men Who Cook event. I figure a 50-mile run just might do the trick!