Joshua Madore and his gravelly whisper entered the local scene in 2007 with The Same Mistakes, a brooding quiet affair produced with Jon Wyman and backed by As Fast As's Hache on bass, Dan Crean (Semi-Precious Weapons) on drums, and the Wrecking's Karl Anderson filling in with organ and other melodic bits. Madore liked the outcome, and here we are two years later with D4988, a record constructed in the same way with somewhat improved results.
Madore seems to revel in his own misery; this album is essentially a collection of sad-sack breakup songs and collective longing. But there are touches here of solid AAA radio fare and even a little radio rock.
"Slow Motion Michelle" is certainly a bitter pill — "I'm in slow motion, Michelle, and wishing you well on your way to hell" — but that electric guitar is warm, and the chorus is melodic. "SOL" is more of a spare Paul Westerberg affair, still initially bitter ("But you don't live here anymore"), but with a great organ line and a second half like a man dragging himself up out of the mud: "Breakups don't come with a receipt/And I don't want your love."
You don't really believe he's over her, but the late-song bass melody and references to his last album ("It's just mistake, after mistake, after mistake/The same mistakes") at least make you sympathize.
The lyrics sometimes come out like he has a mouth full of marbles, but it's consistent, and you can find yourself living in his smoke-filled dream state.
In the late-album "Door," Madore finally seems to relax, with some added sass in the vocals and his cleanest delivery. The descending piano line in the chorus is excellent, paired just with quiet vocals the first time through, then building in the bass and drums for later iterations. Maybe he's finally angry instead of depressed: "I call you a bitch/You call me a whore ... But you're still at my door."
Madore's choice to recreate his team was a good one.
Sam Pfeifle can be reached atsam_pfeifle@yahoo.com.
JOSHUA MADORE | Empire Dine and Dance | Feb 10
