The Real Tuesday Weld, "The London Book of the Dead"pick

British producer exhumes Tin Pan Alley sounds with modern electronics

By Andy Hermann, Metromix

August 27, 2007

Critic's Rating:
4

The Real Tuesday Weld, "The London Book of the Dead"
The London Book of the Dead
Release date:
August 28, 2007
Artist/Band name:
The Real Tuesday Weld
Record label:
Six Degrees
Official Web Site:
http://www.tuesdayweld.com/
Overall User Rating:
0 (0 ratings)
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Backstory: Stephen Coates, the producer/songwriter behind the Real Tuesday Weld, calls his music “antique beat”—a Cole Porter pop sensibility filtered through modern electronica and the crackle and hiss of old 78s. His fourth album borrows its title from “The Tibetan Book of the Dead,” but despite the dark subject matter of songs like “It’s a Wonderful Li(f)e” and “Bringing the Body Back Home,” it’s his sunniest work to date.

Why you should care: “The London Book of the Dead” builds on Coates’ instantly recognizable sound with more organic touches than ever, including banjo, clarinet, trumpet and even a jaunty, Zydeco-style accordion on the album’s centerpiece, a droll mission statement called “I Believe” (Coates believes in everything from monogamy to opiates to “people who, I believe, believe in love”). But the best thing about “The London Book of the Dead” may be Coates’ songwriting, which has advanced to the point where he’s finally trumping style with substance. For every amusing diversion like the Fatboy Slim–like “Cloud Cuckooland,” there’s a superbly crafted, melancholy pop song like “Dorothy Parker Blue” or “Last Words,” which bravely abandons the Real Tuesday Weld’s old-timey gimmicks in favor of—gasp—guitar hooks and a soaring chorus.

Verdict: Filled with interesting nooks and crannies in its densely layered sounds, “The London Book of the Dead” reverberates with echoes of everything from Tin Pan Alley to Tom Waits. And unlike so many modern albums, its songs actually work better when they’re listened to in sequence. (Don’t miss the creepy coda, “Apart,” sung by British retro–girl group the Puppini Sisters.)

X-Factor: The Real Tuesday Weld song “I Love the Rain” was prominently featured in a recent TV commercial for Cherry Coke. Hm…wonder if the advertisers will be able to do anything with “Blood Sugar Love” and its repeated refrain, “Life is good when you’re full of blood”?