Dead Man's Bones: Dead Man's Bones
Dead Man's Bones: Dead Man's Bones
Saturday, 07, Nov 2009 01:13
Anti-, out now.
In a nutshell...
Atmospheric, moody, and slightly psychedelic.
What's it all about?
This album should not exist. It wasn't meant to be an album. It was meant to be a soundtrack to a play about a ghost and monster-themed love story, which was written by Ryan Gosling (that one who played the young guy in The Notebook, where the couple die and might or might not turn into swans at the end) and Zach Shields.
They couldn't make the play because of money troubles, but forged ahead with the album, which sees them play every instrument themselves and collaborate with the Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir.
Who's it by?
So, as we've established, Ryan Gosling was in The Notebook. This is his only foray into the musical world so far and I'm really not too sure who Zach Shields is at this point.
As an example
"In the basement! In the basement/In the schoolhouse!/In the pavement!/In the water!/It's a sound. Underground!/There's a sound! Underground!/Six. Feet. Deep!" - Dead Man's Bones
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
While I'm not sure about how it would fare against more established horror rockers, it could certainly give a lot of soundtracks a run for their money when it comes to taking home awards.
What the others say
"So many ways for it to go wrong, but instead it's a unique, catchy and lovably weird record, with highlights that could hold their own with the best indie singles of the year." - Rob Mitchum, Pitchfork.com
"Played straight, this musical summoning of the macabre would've come across as embarrassingly goth, but there's a genuine sense of humor here." - Anthony Carew, About.com)
So is it any good?
This album - which, as we've noted previously, shouldn't have even existed - probably shouldn't work. It ignores the age-old showbiz adage of never working with children or animals and also involves an actor. And, as we all know, actors and bands do not generally make the best bedfellows (lest we forget the Bruce Willis Blues Band or 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, featuring a less-than-Gladiatorial contribution from Russell Crowe).
However, this works. Don't take it too seriously (I really don't think Gosling is) and it really works. It's a concept album, sure, but it's a concept album that reeks of fun, silliness and a devil-may-care attitude towards poking fun at the horror genre, involving every clich that you can think of, from werewolf howls and creaking doors to evil cackles and spooky moaning. Whatever you do, don't say "I'll be right back".
7.5/10
John Brunskill