The Duckworth Lewis Method
[This week's Sunday Supplement has been very kindly written by perhaps my oldest (and oldest) reader, Campfires & Battlefields. C&B has emailed me more good music suggestions than pretty much anyone, being the first to alert me to Samamidon, O'Death, Fleet Foxes (okay, we'll forgive him that one) The Felice Brothers and quite a few more, so hopefully we can persuade him to do a monthly column - sort of a Letter From America sort of thing. Thanks C&B.]
I am enjoying this record way more than I should. What we have here is a “concept” album about cricket, written and performed by Neil Hannon (from The Divine Comedy) and Thomas Walsh (from Pugwash). What the fuck? I know nothing about cricket. Nothing. I also know nothing about either the Divine Comedy or Pugwash. I think I might’ve heard one Divine Comedy song in my life, and I’m pretty certain I’ve never heard anything by Pugwash. Yet I cannot stop listening.
I first heard the Duckworth Lewis Method about three weeks ago, when DaveyH from The Ghost of Electricity posted a song. Since then it’s become a strange obsession. I’ve been thinking about why I like it so much, and the obvious answer is the melodies. I can’t remember hearing a better set of tunes in ages. It’s got touches of XTC, the Kinks, and even Robert Wyatt in his more tuneful moments. That counts for a lot. Every song swings. But there’s something else at work that really sets this record apart for me. A sweetness. It’s by turns wistful (Mason On The Boundary, The Nightwatchman), comical (Jiggery Pokery, Meeting Mr. Miandad), nostalgic (Gentlemen and Players, Flatten the Hay, Rain Stops Play), and ironic (The Age of Revolution, Test Match Special), but never cynical or sarcastic. The songs glow with a real fondness for the sport and an affection for its personalities and archetypes. It’s a shameless authenticity that I find poignant, even if I have no idea what they’re on about half the time. Sheer aural prozac.
Adding to the appeal of this record is its ephemeral quality. The band broke up a few weeks ago, just as I was discovering them, so there’ll be no more Duckworth Lewis Method. No gigs. Just 12 perfect pop songs. This is one of my favorites of the year.
The Duckworth Lewis Method – Mason On The Boundary
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The Duckworth Lewis Method – Meeting Mr. Miandad
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