Did I tell you about the one-eared German landlord who was into Jim O'Rourke? Never mind, this is apparently Jim O'Rourke's first album for ten years so Jurgen would be pleased. It has been five years in the making and has been mostly played and put together by his own fair hand so it should be worth the wait. Having previously been associated with the Chicago improv scene, he is perhaps most famous for having been a member of Sonic Youth for five years but has also achieved great acclaim as a producer. His Drag City output has tended to focus on traditional songcraft and Simple Songs is no exception.
It starts out with 'Friends With Benefits' which is perhaps the perfect antidote to those post election blues? Like most of the tracks here it has a full band backing with some smoky piano and sets the tone nicely for what follows. I guess you could loosely describe this album as life journey reminisces?
'That Weekend' adds subtle string arrangements to the mix. As with all the instrumentation here there is no bombast just clever arrangements that will pay with repeated visits. 'Half Life Crisis' is a little like a Steely Dan track but whether that is intentional or even if it would be taken as a compliment is another thing. 'Hotel Blue' sheds the harmonies for a more personal and impassioned vocal, albeit rather submerged.
The vocals on 'These Hands' are a lot more up front mostly due to its fairly acoustic setting. "This hand of mine has a mind of its own/It's been places I don't know". It reminds me of Bill Callahan (Smog) who Jim O'Rourke has worked with in the past and it is interesting to see how these previously lo-fi alternative artists have now become part of the establishment. This is what longevity will do for someone I guess?
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The two songs that finish this album 'End Of The Road' and 'All Your Love' are my personal favourites. The first is kind of a ballad in terms of the musical setting and is stunning in both its simplicity (or not as the case may be) and execution and the second just makes you feel good as it wends its way towards a rousing finish. Perhaps the point here is to prove that good song writing can be effortless but it is hard not to imagine that a good deal of care and attention has been lavished on this album in order to achieve this.
What I like about this album is that it requires some work on the part of the listener, thereby provoking a two way process and that is the way that friends with benefits are made.
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