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Low-slung Americana and indie-pop hooks form the core to Milne's distantly-voiced dry wit on topics including schoolboy crushes and drunken debauchery. His wit is also markedly tongue- in-cheek, adding pinpointed high octaves to emphasis the emotion. There is the feel of an honest, earnest lyrical jaunt at play here, against the lounge-set vocals and wriggly melodies.
A curveball comes in the form of Auckland CBD Part Two, an uplifting and inquisitive track full of tropical swagger, African rhythms and off-kilter syncopation that eschews all regard for a logical sequencing. Its soft-focus picks up from where Vampire Weekend's exploration left off and, around two-thirds in, makes way for a wonderful interlude of carnival brass and remorseful strings.
Apple Pie Bed is all quirky lyrics and lissom melodies, a succinct expression of Lawrence Arabia's bookish, slightly disembodied approach to situations more than fitting in Jonathan Richman's back-catalogue. And on paean to hipsterdom The Beautiful Young Crew, he wryly sings: “They love each other. But they hate each other/ They’re afraid of each other, because they want to screw each other.”
This album's orchestration is plush, and peaks are emphasised with spot-on key changes, fills and ever-soaring vocals. Sure, it would benefit from a trimming of lazy passages such as the one midway through the dreamy The Crew of the Commodore, but Milne's overriding strength comes from gloriously poppy guitar lines, deft phrasing, and sugar-sweet harmonies.
Lawrence Arabia's narrator persona, with one foot sternly in the past and the other staggering, trying desperately to get away, loiters before it settles. This makes Chant Darling a charming listen whose dolorous sentiment recurs like a welcome motif, each song taking time to reveal its full charm. --Natalie Shaw
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Customer Reviews
The Shocking Pinks' contemporary late-end punk was beguiling, the D4's brainless garage-punk was fun and more than of note. Further back in time, The Clean did great things for lo-fi allowing them to stand shoulder-to-shoulder today with better known artists such as Pavement. Even the Nick Cave-meets-Jeff Buckley shtick of The Veils can be argued as Kiwi as front-man Finn Andrews spent so much of his youth there.
So up steps James Milne, better known as Lawrence Arabia. After two quietly successful albums in his native New Zealand, this latest signing to Bella Union lets slip Chant Darling, touring it in support of the currently much-lauded Beach House. No stranger to touring, having taken bass duty for Okkervil River on occasion, Milne's smug, harmony-heavy alt-pop ought to stand him in good stead.
He launches into the opener "Look Like A Fool" with Andrew Bird-like optimism and his shuffling rhythms and jaunty croon soothe Chant Darling into being. But Milne seems sponge-like, "The Crew Of The Commodore" is awash with the Beach Boys' vocal harmonies and Grizzly Bear's bounce. "Auckland CBD" jitters in Vampire Weekend-country and the slow-paced closer "Dream Teacher" whiffs of maudlin 50s rock `n' roll love songs. Elsewhere, Milne frolics with falsettos ("Apple Pie Bed") and fleshes out his arrangements with brass and strings to competent effect.
Chant Darling does flirt with insubstantial whimsy (the OTT antics of "Eye A"), but happily Milne's general summeriness mostly compensates. What is interesting though is that although Chant Darling's originality is at times questionable, these tracks are easily its best moments.
I also discovered Lawrence Arabia (real name James Milne) as the opener for Crowded House during a recent concert in L.A. Having snuck a peek at the hilarious video for the delightful "Apple Pie Bed" prior to the show, I knew going into it that I'd enjoy at least one of his songs. Lo and behold, his whole set was fantastic, and he and his band easily won the crowd over with an excellent repertoire of catchy tunes, intricate harmonies, wonderfully retro guitar riffs, terrific trumpeting, and some pretty tricky drumming!
I overheard a fellow concertgoer compare Jim's stage presence to that of a young John Lennon, and I couldn't help but notice the similarities myself.
Having had the album for a week now, I'm totally hooked - it's instantly catchy and keeps getting better on repeat listens. "Apple Pie Bed" is an instant classic, and there are also many other terrific pop tunes here including the devilishly upbeat "Fine Old Friends," reggae-tinged "The Beautiful Young Crew," and the naughtily melancholic harmonies of "Dream Teacher." I challenge you not to tap your toes as you listen!
I'm looking forward to more from Lawrence Arabia!
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