Year-End Roundup Music Review: Deadboy & The Elephantmen

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Year-End Roundup Music Review: Deadboy & The Elephantmen - We Are Night Sky

16th Nov 2006, 13:31 GMT

As we gear up towards the end of the year, it's time to discuss the albums that we may have missed in months past. Some may be records we wish we could have kept avoiding; others we may wholeheartedly regret that we didn't catch on to earlier. Beginning our series is February's We Are Night Sky, from Deadboy & The Elephantmen. Okay. STOP, STOP, STOP. Before we even talk about We Are Night Sky, let's put something on the books. Unless it's a two-person band where the man is singing like a high-pitched shrill woman from country music hell and the drummer is charmingly inept, it's no longer fair to compare every two-person band to the White Stripes. There are expectations involved which will be raised, heightened, and will finally ruin all attempts to fairly examine the album. So now that we have that clarification in place, we can proceed to talk about this record. For the most part, Deadboy & The Elephantmen have put out a damn fine original album. The sound veers toward both jump-up-and-down rock and roll ("Stop, I'm Already Dead," "Misadventures of Dope," and - my personal favorite track - "Blood Music") and slow hybrids of folk and ballads ("Walking Stick", "No Rainbow"). The largest problem, though, is that singer/guitarist Dax Riggs rarely shuts up. Look Dax, rock and roll is not hearing a man try to take on Yoko Onoesque vocals. I mean, I love Yoko. Her Plastic Ono Band is honestly one of my favorite albums. But dude, your music just doesn't fit with the voice. This isn't what rock music is about! It's about, every once in a while, letting your drummer (Tessie Brunet) and your guitar show off how awesome they are. Honestly, all of these songs would be great if just once we could have a few minutes to enjoy the music both of you are playing. And I'm not asking for an instrumental, I'm just asking for you to rock. Or at least get some messier production. Guys, go hire Jim Diamond. If there's any group out there who needs his production, it's really you two. Despite all of my complaints, however, do listen to Deadboy & The Elephantmen. It might not change your world - shit, it's only their first album - but the potential is definitely there. by Megan Giddings Find more music, film and pop culture criticism at The Modern Pea Pod.

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