Langhorne Slim
When The Sun's Gone Down

Narnack
2005
B
Reviewed by: Dom Passantino
Reviewed on: 2005-11-09



Log In to Post Comments
Posted 11/12/2005 - 09:16:56 AM by raskolnikov:
 Langhorne Slim is corny. Except to himself; to himself, he is the reborn personification of the spirit of rock music. Aren't there enough country poseurs in the world? Oh, that's right; record labels say no, we need many more stylistic poseurs whose entire musical careers are based on their carefully practiced affectations.....he should try to hook up with reality TV. He is a natural fit for that crap. P.S.--he sucks live, too.
 
Posted 02/01/2006 - 12:55:23 PM by inabillity:
 I don't think you can dismiss him as corny. He follows an aesthetic, but inflects it with his own style; yes, he has style, it's in his voice and mannerisms. Why does any music with a hint of cartoonishness tend to be dismissed as camp? FWIW, the one time I saw him live he was flooring. Dude had so much presence I thought the place would explode. Langhorne did dances + push-ups (!) with a fervor that even Dick Valentine of the Electric Six, who does the same in an entirely different manner, couldn't touch. It was one of the strongest performances I've ever seen--even the mediocre songs on this album were suddenly genious. Langhorne just has to work on his imagery and lyrical power, but he's getting there. An entire album of "Electric Love Letter" and "Loretta Lee Jones" -- what you'd call corny, I'd call classic.
 
Posted 02/01/2006 - 01:00:41 PM by inabillity:
 There is an amount of self-consciousness in this CD, but that's something that will probably erode with time. Most people start out derivative, I mean, did Bob Dylan not do exactly the same thing? Early on it's more about potential, which is what I see here in spades.