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This record left Frank Dunne feeling happy.
Suffering Jukebox is the outstanding track on the album. Cassie Berman's vocals are delicious on the refrain. The production is crisp throughout. The opening song What is not but could be if sounds contrived. If I had heard this instead of Suffering Jukebox I would have held onto my money. He just seems to be fitting words into a melody. He sounds like Johnny Cash. Very sweet guitar work throughout. The return of Tin Pan Alley! Review date: 10 June 2008
What we say
 This record left our Clinton feeling ecstatic.
The Silver Jews return with a lovely album entitled ‘Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea’. Having seen them live recently and having been frustrated at the general over egging of pudding by their talented but insistent (and far too twiddly) backing band I had grave concerns for this record. Surely another lo-fi luminary hasn’t slumped to Nashville session musician hell a la Catpower? Thankfully on ‘Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea’ this isn’t the case as from the opening chords of ‘What is not but could be if’ this record has a warm, timeless feel with any undue twiddling kept to a minimum and David Bermans increasingly classic sounding dark brown voice kept way up in the mix. Whether or not you can cope with that voice and its wavering off key-ness is probably an indicator to how much you enjoy the record though I’ve never really been a huge fan I was really impressed with what it had to offer. The Silver Jews music is really just a vehicle for Bermans lyrical observations and again he’s in top form here. The album standout is the superb ‘San Francisco BC’ which, along with a lovely rolling melody, enjoys a narrative that you really can’t keep your ears off. For Pavement fans, despite the lack of any input from Malkmus and co, there are not one but two ‘Range Life’ style mid paced countrified tunes the first of which, ‘Suffering Jukebox’ again enjoys a wonderful lyric and backing vocals from Mrs Berman that just straddle the line of bar band blandness. At 33 minutes it’s a short album but its good to see a band not feeling they have to fill up a CD with substandard songs just to reach the perceived quota.
What the label says:
Songs:
WHAT IS NOT BUT COULD BE IF
ALOYSIUS, BLUEGRASS DRUMMER
SUFFERING JUKEBOX
MY PILLOW IS THE THRESHOLD
STRANGE VICTORY, STRANGE DEFEAT
OPEN FIELD
SAN FRANCISCO B.C.
CANDY JAIL
PARTY BARGE
WE COULD BE LOOKING
FOR THE SAME THING
Welcome to the best damn Silver Jews record ever. Through 2008, that is because who knows what the future will bring? For today, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, LOOKOUT SEA!
What makes it such a powerful Silver Jews listening experience? More powerful even than TANGLEWOOD NUMBERS? To begin with, our tour guide to the void is David Berman, pointing out spots where some dreams died and other candy-colored conceits were conceived. All a-sweat and working, rumbling with life and humility like old Johnny Cash, he’s almost alone at the top of “What Is Not But Could Be If.” Then the band comes in (Silver Jews vets Cassie Berman, Tony Crow, Brian Kotzur, Peyton Pinkerton and William Tyler), wafting from next door before kicking the lights out. Their opening trot deceives us into fantasies of easing into Berman’s latest hot bath. But no dice D.C.B.’s got a head full of steam and smoke, as evinced by the antic pistol-pumping rhymes n’ reasons of “Aloysius, Bluegrass Drummer.”
Silver Jews make quintessentially American popular music but “Suffering Jukebox,” and “My Pillow is the Threshold” strike deep into the worldwide realm of the Chart-Worthy Song. This is the sound that sold out countless shows across the globe on the first-ever Silver Jews tour back in 2005 and 2006. This is a sound for all
nations. Witness the wide-hearted power of the chorus of “Strange Victory, Strange Defeat” or the ear-pleasuring chime of “Open Field” (a Maher Shalal Hash Baz
cover!), which will recall to old-timers their footloose days of R.E.M. fandom before the rest of the world knew or cared or didn’t care anymore. Here the urgent burst
of life and how to live it is realized! Days of 80s–90s flavor are aflame again in these tunes. For LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, LOOKOUT SEA’s epic centerpiece, look no further than
“San Francisco, B.C.” A panorama of music history is on display behind Berman’s fable of dovetailing fates, featuring the ominous appearance of Mr. Games a Merry Pranksters version of “Street Hassle,” if you will. As ever, history is longer than we think. Classic Silver Jews-isms signal our arrival into “Candy Jail,” an institution overflowing with assorted titular sweets
as well as a few bitter treats too. Suddenly the sky is overhead as the breeze ruffs our hair and “Party Barge,” is merrily launched. It’s back to a state of nature for the finale, and with the realization that “We Might Be Looking for the Same Thing,” along with all our other human feelings, we swing back to our local jungle, waving goodbye to D.C.B. and his bunch, edified, emulsified, intensified, stronger, ready. Uncanny! Excellent! An essential product of the times! A new and necessary album
from Silver Jews! LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, LOOKOUT SEA.
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