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$13.99 CD
$26.99 LPx2+MP3
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DAVID LYNCH
The Big Dream
(Sacred Bones)
 "The Big Dream"
"Ballad of Hollis Brown"
David Lynch is no stranger to causing a commotion via his impressive body of work; over the course of thirty years and counting, he's made some of the most unique, striking films in American cinema, drafted comic strips for alternative press publications, and he has even brewed his own brand of coffee. For some reason, though, his relationship with music has continually (and inappropriately) been regarded as some sort of novelty; this attitude is wholly ridiculous, as Lynch has always demonstrated as sharp an ear as he has a watchful, detailed eye. He's written lyrics and produced records by the iconic Julee Cruise, and has continued with projects over his career that, despite not placing his name at the top of the marquee, have each extended his vision in sonic form with impressive aplomb. Yes, I'm a fan, and yes, I very much enjoy his music as much as I do his films.
The Big Dream continues and refines the approach that Lynch widely demonstrated on the divisive Crazy Clown Time, but where that album seemed a bit scattershot and more overtly experimental in its approach, this one feels more unified. The music here actually returns to the more lush, twilight-painted atmospheres of the records Lynch made with Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalamenti, but this time infused with the same DNA strands of warped industrial blues that he so loves on Clown Time and the Chrysta Bell album. Lynch sounds more confident as a performer than he ever has before, and his vocals, while still a potential point of contention to some, are strong in their fragility, telling stories of the same warped everymen that have been the glue to his ouvre since his beginnings.
He's always favored texture over melody (and the same could easily be said for his film work as well), but what's important to note is that these are NOT atonal smears; on the contrary, Lynch creates rather beautiful tapestries of quite listenable songform in which the tunes don't fully hit you until later, with his guitar work in particular taking on a gorgeous, powerful, and important role throughout. He's utilizing the format of the blues and subverting it into his own vision, like he has done with love stories, road movies, and even documentaries. Lynch is a studied, admitted non-musician in much the same way that Brian Eno has been for the entirety of his own career, and both of these autodidacts work with songform in similar ways; they break down and deconstruct the popular song with the utmost respect and wide-eyed awe for the medium, tearing up the rulebook as they read it and in the process creating something that is wholly their own. Now that the novelty of Lynch making solo albums has worn off, The Big Dream is to be applauded, as it's a gorgeous album that could be made by no one else. Three cheers to Sacred Bones for delivering one of the most surprising and satisfying records of the year. [IQ] |
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