So, a few years back I saw Scotland’s Camera Obscura in concert. Ignoring the cacophony of the crowd, front woman Tracyanne Campbell took the stage with a look of complete despondence, and launched into the quietly devastating ballad, “Books Written for Girls.” In my many wasted years of concert frequenting, this was the only time I’ve ever seen a bunch of drunk, belligerent hipsters shut the fuck up and actually watch the show; everyone was totally gutted after two verses.
Campbell’s stage presence and songwriting radiate a kind of melancholic glory that can stab through all that emotional stability you’ve been building up and kick your heart right in the balls. But don’t think the music is some whiney, repetitive Bright Eyes bullshit Camera Obscura is capable of delivering their emotive payload in a song with a compelling rhythm and big pop hooks. The newest record, “My Maudlin Career,” is testament to their potency in this department. Jari Haapalainen, again handling the band’s slick production, is responsible for a good part in this.
“French Navy” is the album’s first single and first track. It’s probably the catchiest damn thing that’s ever been released on the band’s new home label, 4 A.D. The arrangement is full, with pronounced drum fills and flourishes from both string and brass, reminding me a bit of ABBA’s best recordings. “Honey in the Sun” has a super dancy tempo and tons of insistent trumpets to foster bedroom dance parties in the mid-afternoon. It’s the last track on the record, creating a sandwich bread of upbeat pop songs around the album’s meaty content.
As always, some of the tastiest cuts are shambling country downers. “Away with Murder,” has some especially cool slide guitar action and lyrics that I love for the sheer obstinance of pessimism: “How many times have you told me you want to die /How many times have you told me now that you’ve tried.” Or how about, “People have been traveling miles just to hear us sing / It’s a February night and I don’t want to feel anything.” By the way, this is a love song.
“Other Towns and Cities” explores a similarly stained portrait of romance, but with the most minimalist instrumentation: just a guitar, harp and Tracyanne with heavy echo dropping sweet nothings like this: “Drinking Whiskey reminds me of you, you’re the first in ages to have gotten through” and ending curtly with, “you’re in another town… you mean nothing to me tonight.” This, too, is a love song.
And that’s the charm of the thing; Tracyanne goes beyond writing songs that are simply expressive. Rather, she elevates bitterness to such a transcendent beauty, you’d swear it were the purest human emotion (and probably is.)
The “French Navy” 7” single and the full length LP should be in stores next week and next-next week, respectively. Or you can use the interweb to voodoo-magic it onto your iPhones or whatever stupid horseshit you kids do now.
Jesse Bo Widmark is a Cal Poly alumnus and a Mustang Daily music columnist.