Saturday 1 October 2005
Review: Mike Doughty - Haughty Melodic
Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty once referred to himself as “the geek that gets to surf the Rhythm Section of Doom”. Here, without the nutty funk and drive of his old band, his tunes are a little less distinctive, more in a radio-friendly rock vein, but it’s decent enough. “Looking At The World From The Bottom Of A Well” and “Unsingable Name” get things off to a catchy start, and set the tone lyrically. These are definitely more personal songs, about love and lovelessness, learning to behave, and even one simple and utterly earnest statement of faith (“His Truth Is Marching On”).
The production does get a little wearing. Digital pitch-correction drives me bonkers, especially on singers with distinctive voices - thankfully it’s not noticeable except on a couple of occasions. And it’s kind of cool to hear Doughty in a different context for a change. Harmonies, for one thing: “Madeline and Nine” turns out quite pretty, and when Dave Matthews (whose label released Haughty Melodic) pops up on “Tremendous Brunettes”, their rasping voices do seem like a natural match.
There’s definitely less arty, smartass goofing here - so much so that the Soul Coughing-era “Busting Up A Starbucks” seems like a weird throwback - but Doughty’s way with words and self-effacing humour keeps things from dragging. Not too bad.