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Sep012008

Review: “Dark Shades of Blue” is a didgeri-don’t

Filed under Music, Reviews by kathleen palmer at 10:56 pm

“Dark Shades of Blue” by Xavier Rudd (Salt X Records) - Out now

When my co-worker Andrew asked me if I’d be interested in doing some reviews for this blog, I gave an unquestioning “yes.” He then proceeded to hand me a CD that included the phrase “…didgeridoo-laden sound.” It was then that I wondered what I had done to make Andrew hate me.

Being the game sorta gal that I am, I listened to Xavier Rudd’s “Dark Shades of Blue” anyway (pre-planning my vengeance upon Andrew). The title cut has those typical basement-tape nonsensical lyrics that anyone who’s been in a band will recognize. They’re the lyrics from that one guy who’s “taking the band more seriously than the rest of you!” To wit: “I place it inside my brain/and sheild [sic] it with everything/I see it come into you/you paint it dark shades of blue.” Um… yeah. Pass the bong.

Despite being produced at an ostensibly “real” studio in Australia (hence the foreshadowing threat of didgeridoo), I was not surprised to see in the liner notes the credit “Additional recording in Xavier’s basement by…”. This CD has basement-tape-itis - of the 11 tracks, five are over five minutes, and two of those are over seven minutes. Repetitive stoner jams should remain in the basement, folks. Or at a Dead concert. Perhaps this is because there is no “Sound Editor” credit in the liner notes.

My realPlayer music trivia informed me that “Xavier Rudd is a surfer by day and sensitive acoustic-guitar player and songwriter by night.” I suspect he still lives with his parents and may be friends with Matthew McConaughey.

I can hang with the track “Gulu.” Rudd apparently has indigenous people collaborating on it, with the repeated phrase “You’ve found a new world/and now, my brother, you’re gone.” It does bust out the ‘doo at the end of the song. Plus, it clocks in at a blessed 4:06.

On “Edge of the Moon,” Rudd channels his best Beck impression with the “Where It’s At” fuzz-vocals. A tune is actually carried in this one, with a jaunty little reggae feel to it. It’s a feel-good irie tune that notes “we are blinded for now by the goodness of Groove.” And I do always like a good slide guitar.

Rudd has his mouth jammed onto the mic again for “This World as We Know It.” I never thought I’d be hearing heavy-metal power chords bouncing off didgeridoo, but here it is. I have no idea what he’s saying, but this would be the head-bobber at the concert. “Up in Flames” would be good background music for a video of snowboarders shredding their way down a mountain at breakneck speed. But just as quickly as he starts to get my attention with two (comparative) rockers in a row, Rudd plops back down on the metaphoric couch with a snoozer like “Hope You’ll Stay.” This CD can’t seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be “angry message rock” or “tunes to do tai chi by.”

The final cut, “Home,” has such clear vocals, comprehensive lyrics, compelling story and sharp mixing, it seems to belong on another CD. It’s by far the most melodic and radio-ready song in the collection. Logically, it should be the one I recommend you download; but that would give you a false impression of the rest of this CD, and I don’t want you to come after me and beat me with a didgeridoo.

Download this track now: “This World as We Know It”

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