Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth

Modest Mouse mastermind Isaac Brock is definitely on to something with his current side project, Ugly Casanova. At first glance, this comes as something of a shock – a backwoods stew that’s equal parts Tom Waits and Mellow Gold-era Beck shouldn’t be MORE accessible than your everyday guitar rock – but after a few listens, the shambling lyrics and eclectic instrumental palate will grow on you in a way not unlike the alien plant roots depicted on the album cover. From the spoon-based percussion on “Spilled Milk Factory” to the thoroughly bizarre, Talking Heads march of “Parasites” (“the parasites are excited when you’re dead/eyes bulging/entering your head”), Ugly Casanova exhibit a unique kitchen-sink sensibility that is both curious and charming. Perhaps the appeal lies somewhere between the layers of backwards guitar loops and washboard drumming, a thread interwoven with fret noises and gurgled vocals. One way or another, the collage is captivating. Ugly Casanova’s debut offers a simple, handmade beauty that is so often absent from “modern rock.” Brock and associates have conjured up a humble mix of experimentation and rootsy tradition that – while not for everyone – offers a welcome respite from your typical three or four chords. [www.subpop.com]