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Album Review

Lou Barlow
Goodnight Unknown Domino

Article written by James S - Dec 1, 2009

Lou Barlow - Goodnight Unkown

Lou Barlow has led an interesting life. Married four times, widowed twice, divorced once and 27 girlfriends in total over the years. Oh bugger, I’ve mixed him up with Ken Barlow again, haven’t I?

Not that Lou hasn’t had a bit of a soap opera style rollercoaster ride when it comes to close relationships though. Where Ken has Deirdre, Lou has J Mascis. Even though the two have been reunited back in the hairy bosom of Dinosaur Jr, Lou still likes to have his bit on the side. Thus this, his second solo album to scratch that itch that Mascis just can’t reach.

And like any good soap plot, there’s a fair dollop of romance and occasional drama mixed in with some more mundane moments. Explosive opener Sharing crashes through the scenery so suddenly you might wonder if you’ve tuned in a little late. It’s reminiscent of Barlow’s time in Sebadoh, and another of his former projects Folk Implosion provides the inspiration behind the jarring chords and portentous bass drum thud of the similarly immediate Gravitate.

Much of the record features some rather lovely jangly acoustic strumming though, with more than a hint of Sufjan Stevens on the likes of Too Much Freedom and even traces of Nick Drake in Barlow’s delivery on Faith In Your Heartbeat and Modesty. The sweetness factor peaks on the unashamedly soppy The One I Call which pushes all the right buttons.

There are also a couple of duff episodes where not much seems to happen though - Praise doesn’t deserve much of its titular acclaim for example - and you might think you’ve heard a couple of the musical plotlines before, most notably on The Right and Don’t Apologize. Like Ken, it’s reassuring to know though that Lou is still going fairly strong despite his many years in the role. If you’re already a regular Barlow watcher then this should be right up your street.

Links:
http://www.loobiecore.com
http://www.dominorecordco.com/
http://www.myspace.com/loubarlow