Music takes many different forms, not just the standard, linear structure most often found in pop music. Verse, chorus, verse is pretty functional — and of course there is always a bridge to spice things up — but some artists need something different. And while there have been attempts to expand pop into other forms, they have mostly been met with confusion or condemnation.
New York City actor/writer Kevin Draine, who dubs himself “The Bitter Poet,” has attempted to do pop expansion from a different angle. His debut release, “Rocket Red Fingernails,” aims for a sound between jazz poet cool and dirty rock groove but only occasionally hits its target.
Most of the songs are spoken word pieces done to lounge club tempo rock jams. Simple enough. The music is never the focal point of the action, and the band lays out a functional beat on which the lyrics can flow out. So far so good, but problems arise with the lyrics, which are often witty but never stellar. When so much focus is put on the vocalist, there should be something special going on. Here, unfortunately, there is not. Most of the pieces sound like standard open mic night fare, falling flat when they should zing and often coming close to being something cool but missing it by a hair’s length.
The album is not without its worthwhile moments. “Sex With Her” has a sad honesty to it, while “I Lost Margid” has a great punch line that is hit on the right note. But these high points only bring more attention to the lows, and the album comes off as a decent opportunity that was just missed. Draine has just a bit too much hipster cool for his own good, and hipster cool can’t help but come off as false and overbearing.
The Bitter Poet will be performing at Sam Bond’s Garage, located at 407 Blair Blvd., this Saturday at midnight. Tickets will be $5 at the door.
Stereolab, on the other hand, is a band that has always seemed cool in spite of itself. With a pop sound that borders on ambient — created by droning keyboards, unassuming rhythms and mellow French vocals — the band at times seems to create great music without even trying. They are catchy without using hooks, enjoyable without being enthusiastic and accessible to the point of transcendence.
The band’s latest release, “Margerine Eclipse,” takes its trance style and pushs it into something bordering on the baroque. While the core sound remains unaltered, this new work is more expansive and eclectic than any of its previous releases. The arrangements, rather than maintaining a steady tone throughout each song, now weave and flow with more complexity, creating soundscapes that cover a wide history of pop music. Funk, jazz, techno, and even the light string arrangements of 1960s film soundtracks all make an appearance on this album, working together to make a well-textured whole.
So while Stereolab may have covered this ground before, each album sees it evolving into something more complex and interesting. On “Margerine Eclipse,” the band has created some brilliantly weird pop music and what is probably one of the first great releases of the year.