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Is and Always Was
Is and Always Was in Bloomington, MN
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Daniel Johnston
first made his reputation in the 1980s with ultra low-budget homemade recordings that sounded as rickety as his notoriously fragile psyche. As
Johnston
's cult following has grown with the years, those early efforts have continued to define his approach in the studio for good or ill, as attempts to craft more professional albums have found him collaborating with sympathetic musicians attempting to make sense of his idiosyncrasies (most notably
Mark Linkous
of
Sparklehorse
on 2003's
Fear Yourself
), or working with producers trying to create a hi-fi replication of
's early cassettes (something
Paul Leary
the Butthole Surfers
did with surprising success on 1994's
Fun
). But with
Is and Always Was
, producer
Jason Falkner
has embraced a new approach; seemingly ignoring the artist's past work,
Falkner
has given
's melodies a polished
pop
sound that reveals just how good the tunes can sound when given the right treatment.
not only produced
, he handled most of the instruments himself (
Joey Waronker
play drums on six tracks) and in his hands, there's nothing halting or tentative about the songs -- these melodies are smart, energetic, and engaging, and with this treatment,
's music sounds like potential hit single material for a change, especially on
"Without You,"
"High Horse,"
and the title track. However, all that changes when
starts to sing -- earlier attempts by producers to reach some middle ground with his music have given his quavering and uncertain vocals a reasonably fitting context, but the sheen and snap of
's backing tracks make for an uneasy balance with his voice, which has developed a slight lisp while also showing the wear brought on by smoking along with its usual uncertainties.
"Queenie the Doggie,"
a tribute to a departed pet, sounds as if its naivete is more than a bit forced, and
"Fake Records of Rock & Roll"
suggests
Daniel
's familiarity with
boogie rock
is pretty sketchy, but otherwise this is a fine collection of new songs from
, deeply personal but fascinating in their stark emotional honesty and surprisingly witty. But until
's craft as a vocalist can rise to the level of
's well-crafted soundscapes, he's going to sound out of place on his own albums if he keeps making records like
. ~ Mark Deming
first made his reputation in the 1980s with ultra low-budget homemade recordings that sounded as rickety as his notoriously fragile psyche. As
Johnston
's cult following has grown with the years, those early efforts have continued to define his approach in the studio for good or ill, as attempts to craft more professional albums have found him collaborating with sympathetic musicians attempting to make sense of his idiosyncrasies (most notably
Mark Linkous
of
Sparklehorse
on 2003's
Fear Yourself
), or working with producers trying to create a hi-fi replication of
's early cassettes (something
Paul Leary
the Butthole Surfers
did with surprising success on 1994's
Fun
). But with
Is and Always Was
, producer
Jason Falkner
has embraced a new approach; seemingly ignoring the artist's past work,
Falkner
has given
's melodies a polished
pop
sound that reveals just how good the tunes can sound when given the right treatment.
not only produced
, he handled most of the instruments himself (
Joey Waronker
play drums on six tracks) and in his hands, there's nothing halting or tentative about the songs -- these melodies are smart, energetic, and engaging, and with this treatment,
's music sounds like potential hit single material for a change, especially on
"Without You,"
"High Horse,"
and the title track. However, all that changes when
starts to sing -- earlier attempts by producers to reach some middle ground with his music have given his quavering and uncertain vocals a reasonably fitting context, but the sheen and snap of
's backing tracks make for an uneasy balance with his voice, which has developed a slight lisp while also showing the wear brought on by smoking along with its usual uncertainties.
"Queenie the Doggie,"
a tribute to a departed pet, sounds as if its naivete is more than a bit forced, and
"Fake Records of Rock & Roll"
suggests
Daniel
's familiarity with
boogie rock
is pretty sketchy, but otherwise this is a fine collection of new songs from
, deeply personal but fascinating in their stark emotional honesty and surprisingly witty. But until
's craft as a vocalist can rise to the level of
's well-crafted soundscapes, he's going to sound out of place on his own albums if he keeps making records like
. ~ Mark Deming
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