|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
BUY THE CD
|
| | | |
It’s been one of those days. Your job sucks…your wife left you…the girls at school ignore you…or maybe you just feel old and tired, with more than a few concerns and regrets. Now’s the time to reach for Jonathan Coulton’s Artificial Heart, an album filled with songs about the good days, the bad days, and those totally mundane days in between.
Coulton’s songs are memorable because they so often scream out in the voice of the everyman—those who hate their soulless jobs, who struggle with their relationships, who feel worn out and beaten down. They’re songs about frustration, disappointment, and even sheer hatred—yet they’re generally set to deceptively upbeat, catchy tunes.
Produced by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants, this 18-track album sometimes has a distinctly TMBG feel to it, from its jangly, poppy melodies to its often cheeky sense of humor. At other times, though, it’s stripped down and relaxed, accompanied by piano or acoustic guitar. In the end, it feels like a mix between They Might Be Giants and Ben Folds, complete with cleverly observant lyrics that will often have you paying close attention, listening for the stories they tell and the messages they convey.
While the simple, acoustic tracks are often cute, though, the album’s best, most memorable, songs have a slightly more polished sound, with talented musicians backing up Coulton’s smart songwriting.
Perhaps the catchiest song on the album is “Good Morning Tucson,” sung from the point-of-view of a worn-out TV news anchor. But it’s got some heavy competition from tracks like “Sucker Punch,” a super-short song about taking out your frustrations by choosing to “bust a couple things up with the bad kids”—or “Alone at Home,” about humoring your wife and quietly doing what she wants (even if it means hanging out at the candle store).
Of course, Artificial Heart isn’t without a few less memorable tracks—the kind that, after the first listen or two, you’ll find yourself skipping over to get to the good stuff. And, at times, some of the calmer, more sincere tracks seem to slow the album down a bit.
Still, with so many clever, catchy, relatable songs on the album, it’s hard to pick just one favorite. From upbeat opening track “Sticking It to Myself” to the closing tribute to teen facial hair, “The Stache,” Artificial Heart is a satisfying soundtrack for every one of those days.
|
|
|
|
