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Album Review

Jay Bennett The Magnificent Defeat
Rykodisc

Article written by Matt P
Oct 10, 2006.

Jay "ex-Wilco" Bennett apparently had to narrow down 70 songs to 14 to fit on this album. So should be really good, right? Well, no. His voice doesn't do him an awful lot of favours on many of the tracks: it varies from good to downright awful, but more of that later.

Opening track Slow Beautifully Seconds Faster is an assault on the ears so bizarre that the weak willed may not even survive it. The general distortion had me gritting my teeth in a fight to continue, but it does improve. Bennett boldly confesses that his favourite instruments include a purple Playskool tambourine and the bells from a pull-around dog toy, and it's a fair bet that both were put to use on 5th grade, which sounds just as twee as the title suggests. The best of Bennett is soon revealed in the more melodic and conventional songs though. The Palace at 4AM is a slower number in which his vocals sound almost Bowie-esque, and it even has the impressive addition of some sitars. Thank You is equally paced and well arranged.

Unfortunately Phone Book sounds like a trip round a low budget fairground, and is completely at odds with Bennett's harsh vocals, which sound like Meatloaf all out of throat lozenges on this track. Overexcusers has a pretty fine tune but is similarly ruined by the vocals: this time he sounds like a stoned extra from Wayne's World. Thankfully the album does end solidly: I'm Feelin'Fine is a happy track, harmonica and all, while the simple Good as Gold is easily the most heartfelt song of the lot. The tone of Bennett's vocals fits just right with this song, proving that when he hits on the right formula it's sublime, but when he doesn't, it's ridiculous.

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