Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth
(Subpop)
Side projects are rarely more than they appear to be—an outlet for a musician with ideas in excess of what the rest of the band is willing or able to record. Isaac Brock, however, has been preparing for the release of this album for many years, it would seem. While his Ugly Casanova moniker has been previously reserved for the odd compilation appearance or single, Sharpen Your Teeth finds Brock exploring new territory under the premise of recording songs that were submitted to him by a person(a?) named Edgar Graham (full details can be found on the band's page at Subpop). Regardless of his intent or inspiration, Brock has crafted a cohesive album that rivals the last Modest Mouse record in terms of quality and sheer amazement. But don't let the name on the tin fool you as to the contents within.
From the opening backwards guitar loop on "Barnacles," the album has
a downtempo feel, both soulful and folky, driven by instrumentation
that is foreign to the Modest Mouse catalog. Guitars share ear time
with strings, banjo, harmonica, organ, and even the occasional trumpet,
such as on "Parasites." The percussion takes a similar cue, employing
brake drums or what sounds like jangly spurred boots and handfuls of
chains to guide the slovenly stomp of "Diamonds on the Face of Evil."
Brock's vocal breadth is also noteworthy, as "Cat Faces" brings his
most polished singing to date, while "Spilled Milk Factory" features
several Isaac's in falsetto accompaniment. But for all of the new
flourishes, one of the highlights of the album is "Hotcha Girls,"
where Brock laments in several voices over a simple, sparse arrangement
of strings and picked acoustic guitar. Some tracks break up the
melancholic mood, such as "Ice on the Sheets," with its dub-infused
bass and backbeat guitar strums. However, the cold and dark dominate
the mix; "Pacifico" sounds like a modern sea chanty complete with
thundersheet and haunting background vocals, effortlessly giving way
to "Smoke Like Ribbons," which continues in a backporch-folk vein with
electronic effects contributing to the bridge and singing saw carrying
the song to its eventual end as an instrumental interlude. The closing
tracks again illustrate Brock's range of styles, with "Things I Don't
Remember" bringing an almost-psychedelic feel to the record, singing
of dressed-up alligators, disco-dancing neighbors, born in mashed
potatoes. This song segues into "So Long to the Holidays," a droning
cut with heavy keyboard ringing through the mix while Brock sails
above with single-note guitar lines and wavering singing.
Ugly Casanova is a definite departure from Brock's work with Modest
Mouse, as Brock charts a new course in instrumentation. With the help
of Brian Deck producing (who also did The Moon and Antarctica),
the album retains a density and warmth even when the songs ache and
moan. Brock seems to have an understanding of how to pace his songs,
never stacking too many emotional cards in one deck at any one time.
After several spins, the transitions between songs sound even more
natural, leading the listener to enjoy the album as a whole instead
of in several removable parts. The only question left to answer is
what Brock will accomplish next, either with one band or the other.
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