Gatsby’s American Dream
In the Land of Lost Monsters
LLR Records
Gatsby’s American Dream chills out and gets introspective with The Land of Lost Monsters, a much more subdued affair than their previous works but no less thoughtful (or subtly antagonistic, for that matter). Although it’s not something that will immediately blow you away, there’s a sort of simple je ne sais qua here that seems to transcend what might otherwise be a run of the mill pop album. In other words: it’s pretty good. Fans of Saves The Day and Piebald’s newer material will most definitely dig it.
If you’re looking for a real rock album though, or anything straightforward and industry-friendly, you might want to stay away. Closing track “The Dragon of Pendor” is really the only rocker on the album, and clearly the most accessible song present – it also has the coolest drum fills. This is intentionally ironic, I suppose, since the lyrics blatantly poke fun at how conventional and supposedly formulaic it is. Vocalist Nic Newsham must be winking at his audience as he sarcastically exclaims, “Oh baby give hooks to me/yeah something big and juicy,” and taunts the music industry executives that ought to be courting the band with “Where’s the fucking chorus?” as the band launches into it. Then, as if to apologize: “Here it is! But you can’t fuck with my integrity.”
Funny boys, I guess the joke is on us. Right?
Gatsby’s American Dream: http://www.gatsbysamericandream.com/
