lambchops's Full Review: Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia by The Dandy War...
From the moment I slipped Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia into my stereo, I knew I was going to love the album. Something about The Dandy Warhols was special, something about the band spoke to my heart. It was from that moment that I knew without doubt that the state of American music wasn’t completely in shambles.
The Dandy Warhols formed in 1992 in Portland, Oregon ironically in the midst of the northwest grunge movement. Ironic? Well, yeah…see the band combines camp and humor with wonderfully delicious pop-rock melodies. The band consists of four members: Courtney Taylor (vocals, guitar), Zia McCabe (keyboards), Peter Holmstrom (guitar), and Eric Hedford (drums). Their sound is dissimilar to most of what is created stateside these days, instead content to make happy music most akin to that common throughout the UK. And fortunately the formula works. Unfortunately, it seems that The Dandy Warhols are still relatively unknown in America despite overseas success. I was of the ignorant until just a few months ago.
Quietly making their debut in 1995 with Dandy’s Rule OK?, the band made enough of an impression to eventually land a major label deal. That debut album was quick to point out their influences with song titles like Ride, Lou Weed, and The Coffee and Tea Wrecks. It was this sense of humor in addition to keen musicianship that delineated the band from forgettable so-called post-grunge acts.
After the deal with Capitol, The Dandy Warhols had a false start with an album (after a rejection from the label) and returned with Dandy Warhols Come Down in 1997. The album wasn’t a hit by any standard, but did manage to nudge its way onto the Billboard Heatseekers chart and go as high as number 22. Not just that, the single Not If You Were The Last Junkie on Earth also proved a modest hit. The band, full of pop-rock gumption and hooky melodies, try as they might were still unable to break though to the mainstream.
And then came 2000’s Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, the album that should have turned the tides for The Dandy Warhols. Consisting of exactly thirteen tracks, the album is clean and concise and most certainly the band’s most perfect effort to date. A refreshing blend of good humored rock, tight lyrics, and savvy melodies the album resonates nicely and should have if nothing else given The Dandy Warhols exposure. But it did not. Not that the album is genius perfection, but it is great enough to have earned the Oregon band much more attention and a larger fan base.
Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia begins with a bang thanks to Godless. Heavy on the guitars (both electric and acoustic), the melodies are would evocatively around Taylor’s smooth vocals. But it is the assemblage of the track that proves the most interesting. Somehow, The Dandy Warhols have managed to weave an intricate, intelligent, creative, and even strange into something that is absolutely appealing and without even a moment of thoughtlessness. Even the horns sound superb in the mix.
Much in the same vein, Mohammed proves equally ear pleasing, although somehow more fantastic with contemplative vocals and an incredibly dreamy melody. It is the kind of track that will most certainly go down as an album favorite in addition to having many timeless qualities. And it is this timeless nature that will (hopefully) permit The Dandy Warhols to have a long and fruitful career.
As the album progresses, it becomes crystal clear that this band is talented. Nietzsche may not be the best song of the disc, but it is still much better than most of today’s music. As compared to Mohammed in particular, Nietzsche is thick, noisy, and convoluted. Though it does serve a purpose as filler between two otherwise exceptional tracks.
Country Leaver is a fun, fabulous tongue-in-cheek country-rock track. Because it is so different than the other songs, it is more memorable. It is this creative ability to metamorphose by The Dandy Warhols that carries over to the other twelve tracks. Country Leaver will most definitely put a wide smile on the faces of most listeners. The same applies to Solid. Performed in a manner most reminiscent of Jim White on No Such Place (although white did it better in my opinion), the track is fast, fun, and anxious. And that works well enough to hold my attention.
While not quite as musically successful as some of the other songs, Horse Pills is nonetheless fun. Most similar to Solid, the track is charming, upbeat, and infectious while still seemingly wry and sarcastic. Hey. It works for me. Get Off is nearly indescribable. The sound is slightly country, but too bizarre and trippy to be by any means just country-rock. The chap-slappin’ guitars and drums are round and cool and most definitely rank among the album’s best.
Slowing the pace down, though not dimming the album’s near-brilliance Sleep is an understated ballad. It is songs like this that will most appeal to a wide audience. The Dandy Warhols show their softer side, expose their underbelly, admit to loving. While the melody is the showcase, Taylor’s whispered lyrics give the song a haunting, memorable aura. The delicate softness of Sleep is unceremoniously ripped away as Cool Scene kicks in with feedback and thumping drums. But this isn’t heavy metal or even hard rock by any stretch of the imagination. This is alternative pop-rock with a witty attitude. The beguiling nature of the melody is characteristic of most of what is on Urban Bohemia, and makes for a truly enjoyable experience.
If one song was a hit from the album, it was Bohemian Like You. Though, to call it a hit means it was released as a single and cracked the Billboard 200…even if barely. While not the most perfect song on the album, it is unquestionably the most user friendly with shimmering riffs, appealing melody, and incredible vocals. Though it doesn’t on the whole have much meat, the slightly risqué lyrics are worth mentioning:
Wait
Who's that guy just hangin' at your pad
He's lookin' kinda bummed
You broke up that's too bad
I guess it's fair if he always pays the rent
And he doesn't get bent about
Sleeping on the couch when I'm there
Shakin’ is the album’s lowpoint. An apparent homage to Elastica, the track breaks from the band’s usual tradition with noisy electronic element, distortion, and haughty punk attitude. A note to hopeful musicians: what works for one band doesn’t necessarily work for another. Skip this impossible, useless track in favor of more truthful tracks from The Dandy Warhols.
The album wraps up with two slightly less stellar (though by no means horrible) tracks. Big Indian is appealing enough with standout acoustic guitars, but it just doesn’t seem to go anywhere…rather the band just treads water. The Gospel on the other hand returns to the country-rock of earlier songs, though this time it is slow and melancholic. The other more upbeat and imaginative tracks are just much nicer to hear.
Overall, Tales from Urban Bohemia is an impressive album. If it had excluded Shakin’ and maybe one or two others it would have been a seamless album. A lovely combination of creativity, Brit-pop, and rock and roll the album works well in many ways. It is lively, witty, strange, intelligent, and creative all at the same time without coming off as conceited or trite. The Dandy Warhols should be proud of this highly recommended release.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Godless | 02. Mohammed | 3. Nietzsche | 04. Country Leaver | 05. Solid | 06. Horse Pills | 07. Get Off | 08. Sleep | 09. Cool Scene | 10. Bohemian Like You | 11. Shakin’ | 12. Big Indian | 13. The Gospel
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