Cool is an overused word, and I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to usage. I’ll drop the word in conversation with the effect of an Altoid — trying to freshen an otherwise ordinary moment.
So when I describe “Songs From Disko Bay”, the sophomore effort by Brooklyn’s The Inner Banks (married couple Caroline Schultz and David Gould accompanied instrumentally by a dozen others), as a“cool” album, it’s not meant to be a trite assessment because I have nothing better to write. But then again, maybe I don’t — I’m really on the fence here.
The opening track, “Lemon Tree,” stirs this indecision. Galvanized by Schultz’s angelic voice (a modern-lay Julee Cruise if there ever was one), the music itself limps along at a tepid pace, an indifferent observer to Schultz’s soaring lyrics. Midway through, the song becomes a lingering instrumental with the feel of forfeit. “Pyramids” has the same disinterest (dare I say coolness), pulled solely by Schultz’s dreamy cords
But as the music gets much better, with Gould boasting a host of inventive arrangements, Schultz becomes far too commonplace.
“Tournament of Waves” and “Big Bang” are celebrations of sound — playful pianos, glockenspiels and violins — while Schultz, once the wow factor, becomes mundane after six songs of the same cadence and vocal structure. They seem aware of this, as subtle yet strong instrumental “Blame” and “Coda (Lemon Tree)” close the album.
“Disko Bay” is a dichotomy — when one part flourishes, the other fades, and this tug-o-war fractures an album full of promise.
And hey that’s cool.
Or not.
