Tragic Realism did not disappoint. I found myself listening to some of the most absurd, gruesome, and at times hilarious lyrics I’ve heard… maybe ever. With song titles like “If You Love Me Baby, Pull the Plug” and “Burn, Burn, Burn in Hell” I guess I should have had an inkling of what was in store. What makes the album so interesting is the contrast between the extraordinarily graphic and menacing lyrics and the catchy sweet melodies that serve as the conduit for the violent messages.
The LD in the band’s title is LD Beghtol, veteran of the New York indie rock scene, and member of Flare and the Moth Wranglers. For this freshman effort on the California-based indie label Darla, Beghtol assembled a group of his friends to construct a makeshift orchestra. The result is extremely pleasant; the melodies are strong and catchy and the instrumentation contributes to the country feel of the album.
About halfway through Tragic Realism, I conceded that “countrypolitan” is an apt description of the band’s style. Although the themes of the songs—death, heartbreak, betrayal, deception, love—are deeply rooted in the country music tradition, the melodies and lyrics themselves have a more urban sensibility, a result of the band’s residence in New York City.
When listening to this album I urge you to give it your undivided attention, lest you may find yourself bopping your head and humming along happily to lyrics like “I might just laugh if a train cut you in half…and spread your brains like Jell-O all over the tracks/you won’t be coming back.” That particular line comes from the bitter and vengeful number “Elegy for an Ex.” Clearly, things ended really badly.
If your mind wanders for even a moment you may think you’re listening to pleasant, upbeat, happy music; it is such an incredibly listenable album that it is easy to miss the dark humor of the lyrics.
“Elegy for an Ex” and “When we Dance (At Joe Orton’s Wedding)” reminded me almost of 50s bubblegum pop. Beghtol proves to be an excellent crooner in that very old fashioned way.
“Tribute to Toyland” is an absolutely hilarious homage to Ken and Barbie who are “so thin and in love” and “so cool at their beach house.”
The songs are all quite short, reinforcing the 50s pop feeling of the album. Beghtol’s spoken voice opens a few of the tracks, adding a hoe down or square dance quality to the numbers.
The inanity of LD and the New Criticism’s lyrics reminded me of early Barenaked Ladies, where nothing was too silly or too mundane to write about. Where Tragic Realism differs however is the piercing, heaviness of their lyrics that the fun-loving Barenaked Ladies lacked.
Although I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occasions throughout the album, I get the feeling that while it is undoubtedly meant to be funny, there is a serious undercurrent as well. That’s where the “tragic realism” comes in. The album’s sensibility it quite silly, but the ideas being discussed and the overarching theme of death are quite real. For that reason Tragic Realism is infinitely more interesting than if it was just attempting to make the listener laugh.
