- Release date:
- June 17, 2008
- Artist/Band name:
- Silver Jews
- Record label:
- Drag City
- Official Web Site:
- http://www.silverjews.net/
Why you should care: For listeners who like albums to be puzzles, Berman is a marvel, sprinkling obscure tips of his hat throughout his songs. But “Lookout Mountain,” his sixth record, also stands as his most immediate work to date.
Verdict: Silver Jews remain a very safe bet, never releasing material that’s slapped together (they even have an extreme shortage of odds and ends like B-sides). Where “Lookout Mountain” falls into rank is debatable, but it’s certainly closer to the top than the bottom. Berman’s grizzly baritone and poetic phrasings are in top form throughout, aside from the overstuffed narrative “San Francisco B.C.” The Jews have become more like a seasoned Nashville band than a loose collection of talented friends, and Berman’s wife, Cassie, has emerged as a vital vocal foil—shining especially bright on the honky-tonk melodrama “Suffering Jukebox” and the fantastic closing duet “We Could Be Looking for the Same Thing.”
X-Factor: Berman spoke recently (and hopefully not too seriously) about the possibility of soon giving up music altogether and pursuing a career as a proper literary writer; he has a Master’s degree in poetry and published a collection of work in 1999.
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