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From his declaration of "I'll see you in the death machine tomorrow, unless somebody's God intervenes" in the opening "Makes No Difference," Downes paints scene after powerful scene of lives where good times come only in a brief rush of alcohol or nicotine, where love inevitably torments and disappears, where happiness is only a memory. "I dream of being like I was before," he sings in "Take Good Care of It" -- an ambition whose impossibiliy doesn't stop him from longing for something, anything, better than the life he sees.
The album's high point comes at its midpoint, the aptly-titled "Slow Sad Love Song," which may well be the most harrowing, devastating entry to the "love song" category ever recorded. Building from a slow strum to a final, frenzied cacaphony of guitar and pain, Downes seizes the fragmented moments in time that define the death of a relationship ("Tones of resignation, 'I'll probably see you round.'"). In the song's final moments, his thin, anguished voice is literally howling in pain and confusion... and the effect is nothing shy of exhilarating.
The Verlaines' early albums (i.e. Juvenalia, Hallelujah) were overwraught with obtuse writing and musical structure (as if Downes was attempting to justify his Ph.D in music). Downes' most recent work (both his solo album and the Verlaines final Over The Moon) suffer from his increasingly off-key vocals and growing fascination with Tin Pan Alley. But in between, some remarkable music was produced -- and BIRD DOG is clearly the high point. Like the doomed dog on the cover, Downes' characters are forever searching for something beautiful and better, something just out of reach... something that will inevitably lead them over the side of a cliff. But as he sings in the album's finale, CD Jimmy Jazz and Me, "We live in hope." And sometimes, that's enough.
The Verlaines revolve around singer/guitarist Graeme Downes, and much has been said of his PhD in musical composition, which he was working on concurrently with the Verlaines' first few albums. Naturally, I assumed Downes' fusion of orchestral and pop elements sounded promising, like something akin to the Go-Betweens' "Liberty Belle," or Echo & the Bunnymen's "Ocean Rain," or even like the Bats' winsome pop placed in a baroque setting. And well, it does sound like them in spurts, but it turns out Downes' primary focus isn't always crafting achingly beautiful pop melodies, but more on generating manic, rhythmic energy, and/or unconventional twists and turns, accented by touches of strings, horns, and only occasionally teasing the pop fiend with lilting melodies. Still, when those gorgeous melodic epiphanies come, their impact is tremendous.
Downes' PhD in musical composition also asserts itself in the songs' meandering structures, eschewing traditional verse-chorus-verse structures in favor of a more "classical" approach, where parts ramble, evolve, and build on on each other. This usually works, but can occasionally detract from the overall tune.
Standouts include the sadly beautiful, piano-driven "Only Dream Left," the upbeat, infectious "Take Good Care of It," and the dynamic, nicely arranged (if a bit long) "C.D., Jimmy Jazz, & Me." "Just Mum," "Dippy's Last Trip," and "Bird Dog" are also quite good, snaking as they do through unpredictable melodic and structural twists and turns. Downes croons and bellows passionately, sometimes recalling Ian McCulloch (and the racing energy of their music is not unlike early Bunnymen). His dark and intriguing lyrics reference booze and cigarettes in seemingly every song.
"Bird Dog" isn't as overtly shimmering and poppy in the way that Sneaky Feelings, the Bats, or the Chills could be at their best, but the Verlaines create enough compelling, innovative, and richly beautiful moments to warrant serious attention. No foray into "kiwi" pop would be complete without this album.
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