Cass McCombs has racked up an impressive body of work in a comparatively short period of time, and Humor Risk follows swiftly on the heels of the dour ‘Wit’s End’ released in April this year.
His releases have been almost unanimously praised in the virtual pages of this publication, it’s readily apparent that one of McCombs’ greatest achievements is his consistency. Closer inspection – and from my own comparatively limited experience of his output – also reveals his ability to confound expectations, with each release being markedly different from its predecessors.
He also has a habit of releasing lead singles that don’t quite represent the attendant albums: ‘Robin Egg Blue’ is by far the shortest track amidst a set of songs in which the majority pass the five-minute mark. It’s also a light, breezy acoustic strum that’s remarkably simple, just Cass’ voice over a three-chord riff backed by a gentle syncopated beat. It’s pleasant, but doesn’t reflect the album’s rockier tendencies.
The opener, ‘Love Thine Enemy’, again built around a simple three-chord chug, has a crunchy tone propelled by a metronomic beat and features the lyrical adeptness that is uniquely McCombs’: ‘Love thine enemy / but hate their lack of sincerity’. ‘Mystery Mail’ is almost Beatles-like in its easy poppiness, albeit through a Britpop filter: the result is an amalgamation of ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ and ‘Parklife’, only less obnoxious and try-hard and more natural sounding. The weightier, more dramatic ‘To Every Man His Chimera’ is delivered with a disarming lightness of touch, and again, features some neatly crafted lyrics (‘California makes me sick / like trying with a rattlesnake your teeth to pick,’ he comments dryly).
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Indeed, the back cover carries the polite request ‘please read lyrics’, and helpfully, a lyric sheet is enclosed. This is a good thing: not all of the words are immediately audible, but McCombs is an accomplished lyricist, his lines permeated by a dry and sometimes self-deprecating wit. The album’s title, too, is indicative of his self-directed sarcasm.
‘Humor Risk’ is hardly a laugh a minute, but in contrast to ‘Wit’s End’ it’s a lot more light-hearted and even – at least in places – fun.
Cass McCombs Online
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