Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard – Em Are I
Musically, it’s hard to say that this is pushing anything anywhere. It’s just Jeffrey Lewis doing what Jeffrey Lewis does, with little that will bring any sonic surprise to those people familiar with his stuff already. There are a couple of what I suppose I would call straightforward rock ‘n’ roll songs on here, which is where his more raucous material seems to be moving these days instead of the punk-folk aesthetic of earlier releases, but this is a pretty fine distinction. The gentler ballads and clattering singalongs still form the solid core of this album.
So why is it good? I’ve absolutely no fucking idea, but it most definitely is. This is an excellent record, despite being pretty straightforward and predictable in most ways.
Maybe it’s because with Lewis there appears to be almost no fourth wall. There is no obvious shield of artifice between him and his audience, so maybe this means that I am judging this album less on the music, and more on the basis of my relationship with Lewis himself. Basically, he seems like a nice guy; he’s literate, witty, self-deprecating and thoughful, and this all comes across very strongly in his lyrics.
This album is almost like having a late night pub conversation with the man himself. It and he are both just likeable; thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time and, as a bonus, set to a backdrop of good music. There are songs on here I am less keen on, but that’s the case with every Lewis album I’ve ever heard. This is just good, in the plainest and most straightforward way possible. Enjoy.
Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard – Whistle Past the Graveyard
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Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard – To Be Objectified
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Now this is an odd one.
I do like Jeff Lewis, & enjoyed this album; but I do wonder, this far into his ‘career’, what’s the point of him? I mean, I see him more as being enjoyed as a mix-tape/random play artist rather than a ‘ooh, I think I’ll put on…’
Well I don’t know him all that well, so I am still quite excited, although more so by Crass Songs and the amazing City & Eastern.
It’s a rare career that can sustain longevity anyway – it’s no coincidence the people who do attain legendary status, because it’s so very, very rare. Would I put Jeff Lewis in that category? Well I’m a bit too new to it all to say anything much but, for me personally, maybe not. But I am definitely very interested in what he’s up to and what he’s planning.
That more a masterclass in diplomatic equivocation than an answer, I suppose.
agree with a lot of whats said here
i think lewis is a hugely important artist, his comic book work is nothing short of brilliance, and even though i really like this album, i can’t figure out why. and i agree with drunk country, it’s rare that i’ll put his records on
but yet i continue to like him. i guess the mark that i can’t put my finger on it is partly what makes it so good..