Wall Of Sound's Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia review
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Wall Of Sound/Yahoo.com
Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia
by Bob Gulla
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The magic of rock and roll can be sneaky sometimes, just like a tequila buzz, creeping up on you, then seizing your head and taking you for an unexpected joyride. And just like tequila, it can also come from unusual places, such as Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia, the fabulous new album from the Dandy Warhols.
If you've noticed yourself becoming progressively jaded over the last five years, nonplussed by the barrage of pitbull rockers and teen tarts riding your radio waves, you'll be happy to know that there's an antidote — at least one — in the Dandy Warhols' work. It helps, but it's not necessary, to be over 30: The album derives much of its inspiration and a lot of its style from masterworks of the late '60s but stays true to its new millennium sensibility. "Bohemian Like You" snags a Beggars Banquet rhythm guitar track, "Big Indian" pilfers a Blonde on Blonde-era Dylan riff, while the Byrds influence reigns elsewhere: Sweethearts of the Rodeo on "The Gospel" and Fifth Dimension on "Mohammed." And let's not forget the gorgeous, Herb Alpert trumpet-pop of the opening "Godless."
Like many of the albums made circa 1969, the Dandys venture past formula and single-genre focus into a patchwork of uncharted territory. While there, they dabble with new renditions of proven musical expression, from hip gospel-country to acoustic pop, from electric blues to psychedelic folk. Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia probably won't make much of an impact commercially, but the band and its label should be credited for injecting the bankrupt rock and roll scene with an exhilarating highlight. It is without a doubt one of the best pop records of the year.
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