absentee - donkey stock
6 track mini lp from the deep pan vocals of dan michaelson and his band of not-so merry sidekicks. these paeans to all that is nick cave and the tindersticks don't exactly get the blood rushing, nor will they have you shuffling your feet. but, instead, listen carefully and beneath the sonic misery, and you will realise there are some subtle edges of dark humour to savour, none more so when 'my dead wife' morphs into a very strange cover of 'you're the one that i want' ! took a few listens to make sure that i was correct on that one, or, the excellently titled 'in the toilets again' with its gorgeous 'doo doo doo's backing vocals. as the music is predominantly lonesome late night country and western bar band type of backing, it doesn't really get too much airplay in my car, but fuzzed up rocker 'something to bang' shows that the band do have a full on velvet underground side to their oeuvre that is very appealing.
not one for the summer moods admittedly, but this is a lovely stuff for when you are feeling a little blue and mellow.