Song collections that are “inspired by” authors can be pretty difficult going. The success of the project hinges on distilling an author’s message that could have been developed over hundreds of pages into lyrics that end up not being merely a rehash of the original work. In addition, the music has to add a dimension that could not be imparted in the original format. Jeff Kelly and Laura Weller’s latest offering is a set of songs “inspired by” the writings of Joyce Carol Oates. Though a one sentence summation of Oates’ themes is impossible, she is often concerned with the infinitesimal distance between heart’s desire and soul’s fear. This extends to the relationship between longing and debasement, exploitation and manipulation and the dark corners of the psyche where they converge. Ultimately, much of her work is about the power relationships between the victims and perpetrators of psychological violence as well as other less obvious manifestations of sado-masochistic roles and tendencies. It is a daunting corpus to even read never mind to pay homage to in song so Goblin Market gets props for even trying.
Goblin Market’s previous disc Ghostland was equal parts Victorian repressed sexuality and the symbolic realism of the Pre-Raphaelites. For Haunted, they eschewed the largely acoustic arrangements of that disc in favor of a richer electric palette. The pair’s vocals are obviously still featured prominently and Kelly’s guitar solos have such keen melodic sense that they can seem like an additional voice singing. This approach in general works well with Oates’ more modern themes though fans of the band’s earlier sound should take note. The lush production also makes the seedy situations covered by the lyrics more approachable but in some cases I find it detracts from what could have been a more visceral effect. In fact, the problem I have with Haunted is that while overall, there are a few stellar contributions (“Beasts”, “Ugly Girls”, “The Model”, and “Bloodstains”), not all of the songs measure up to this standard in large part due to unnecessary flourishes.
“Dark Days” introduces the disc with a swirling mid tempo rocker whose foreboding lyrics deal with the inevitability of obsession’s effects. Set in a forest that is symbolic of the character’s twisted psyche, the guitar lines and sweeping synth add to the overall claustrophobic feeling. The tinkling piano and guitar of the excellently creepy “Beasts” are buttressed by deep bass and drums as the song builds towards what might be the disc’s crucial statement (“so where does love meet passion/and how is passion cruel/and what defines desire when there are no rules”). This is one of those crystallizations of insight that one hopes for in a project like this. When the song is taken out on the chorus “we are beasts and this is our consolation”, it is clear that Goblin Market has pegged the lessons of this story perfectly.
“Zombie” captures the feeling of walking death that incest can instill while deftly skewering how complicit adults turning a blind eye to the abuse causes it to become in effect institutionalized and amplifies the horror. “First Love” uses gothic organ and acoustic guitar to great effect, but the lyrics add little in the way of insight as did some of the earlier pieces. “Haunted” starts with beautifully understated piano and Kelly and Weller taking turns on the verses. However, by the time the piece has ended, the over-the-top organ (rivalling the most bloated Italian 70’s prog) has returned and becomes an unwelcome guest.
The primal power of the forest has been dealt with in other songs, but the pair of “Calla” and “Cruel Rapids White” represents another of Oates’ favorite natural villains: water. Calla personifies the depths of an impenetrable stream and the rapids reflect back the memory of a lover lost to the river (well, not lost exactly, and any fan of Oates or Edgar Allen Poe will be able to figure how the lover was “lost”).
“Ugly Girls” is a strange and awkward creature. The production’s sheen conjures up the lighter weight pop folk of Lisa Loeb, but the lyrics and vocal tone with their grim portrait of degradation driven by a need for acceptance recall Courtney Love in her prime. This is easily the most emotionally raw song lyrically (“ugly girl’s a good sport/lets the losers win”), but the upbeat country twang of its instrumentation is constantly pulling in a different direction. Ultimately, it works for me because the tension it creates between music and lyrics echoes the tension between internal desire and the face the “ugly girl” in the song must project but some listeners might not be willing to make that leap.
“The Model” is easily the album’s masterpiece and redeems much of its prior excesses. Describing a shimmering seduction of a model by a cold hearted photographer, it uses minimal electronics, whispery guitar, affecting string arrangements and Kelly’s alternatively vulnerable and menacing vocals to make one feel the chill coming in off the coastline the song describes. The bottomless pit of obsession is evoked in the line “What I need / is more than you can give me” but that still doesn’t stop the narrator’s pursuit of his prize. This is compulsion laid bare and a quintessential distillation of Oates.
“Bloodstains” harks back to the walking daze of “Zombie” in its description of a doctor that makes his way through life by projecting a semblance of calm that masks inner turmoil. The title refers to the effects of the breakdown that inevitably follows this type of repression. Kelly’s guitar bursts through at a crucial moment and even though his playing is as tasteful as ever, it is clear that it refers to the character’s loss of control. The disc ends with the pair of “Waltz for Alma” and “The Tattooed Girl”; both fine songs, but neither contain anything that tops the disc’s finest moments.
As a companion to Joyce Carol Oates, Haunted makes for pretty good listening and if one reader discovers the power of her writing through this project, then Goblin Market have achieved a more than modest success with it.
