I can admit it, I’m a bit of a whore for Butch Walker. There’s something inherently catchy in his songs of heartbreak stretched over upbeat pop hooks. Like some very choice cuts by other blatantly pop acts, Butch brings his own level of darkness to his music, a darkness that he hid behind a glam-rock façade during the Marvelous 3 days. Since he went solo, he’s been making pop music with rock sensibility (as opposed to the bulk of musicians who make rock music with pop sensibility.)
Does that make sense? Let me flip that: pop sensibility means breaking your music down to the lowest common denominator so that it fails to offend anyone. Rock sensibility, on the other hand, flies under the banner of “Fuck you, I’ll do what I want.”
Back to the ramble, Butch has a band again, sort of. His newest record is still a solo piece, much in the same vein that David Bowie (hmmm…) was releasing solo works, and represents a drastic departure from his first two solo works. “The Rise and Fall Of…” seems to be Butch’s homage to David Bowie’s early, glamier days, done so by roughly throwing darts at songs circa “The Rise” and even paying blunt props in the albums title as well as the look and feel associated with the album. Whether Butch is trying to bring glam pop back (after three glam rock albums with Marvelous 3 years before glam rock was back in…The Darkness I’m talking to you) is immaterial. Being immaterial is something that Butch has excelled at, often starting and abandoning trends years before the mainstream does the same.
The new album does stand as a strong B on the first few listens. It has the standard duende-infused songs, specifically “dominoes” as well as the scenester-esque uptempos that Butch does with more than a fistful of irony. The meat of the album, the part that will either win you or burn you, is when Butch goes in new directions, tackling retro rhythms that list and jaunt like a viewing the coked up seventies through a kaleidoscope…while on coke. Give it a few listens.
Oh, and for those obsessed with the spider web relationships of celebrity, look who happens to star as Beth in the Bethamphetamine video.
My Trusted MOGs
Oh MAN, I knew that name was familiar. I used to love Marvelous 3, and heard one of the Butch Walker songs (thanks to MOG) and thought it was pretty wicked. Now this is a good excuse to download his new album. Thanks for making that connection for me. :)
My Trusted MOGs
I share your status as a "Butch Walker whore." I couldn't get enough of "Left of Self-Centered." His songs are the perfect driving with the windows open sort of songs. I just wish more people would listen to him, that way I could brag "I was a whore for him way before you."