CD Reviews

Mike Doughty

Golden Delicious | ATO

By VICTORIA WELCH | March 18, 2008

3.0 Stars

When Mike Doughty emerged from the ashes of the quirky alt-rock band Soul Coughing with his first solo disc, 2005’s Haughty Melodic (ATO), the result was far from a major departure in its music or its lyrics. The sardonic, word-drunk singer-songwriter has settled down a bit on Golden Delicious, but finding a good groove remains his priority. “Fort Hood,” the anti-war tribute to the casualty-riddled Texas military base, hangs his plain-speak delivery of lines like “You should be getting stoned with a prom dress, girl/You should still believe in an endless world” on a bright and shiny chorus that brings to mind “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In.” “I Wrote a Song About Your Car” keeps it simple, with quick lyrical jabs and some polished pop funk driving a hooky chorus. And “27 Jennifers,” a tune fans will recall from Doughty’s live sets, emerges transformed from a straight-up pop song into a saucy blues that incorporates a synth hook — just the sort of skewed arrangement Doughty has always had a liking for.

Mike Doughty | Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville | April 9 | 617.931.2000

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