Sound: David Berman’s husky, alcohol-soaked vocals meet up with country-flavored indie rock that alternates between spirited and mopey. Sounds like a recipe for depressing rants, but his oddball lyrics keep the tone light and amusing. His wife Cassie’s frequent background vocals also add pep and balance.
Heavy Rotation track: “How Can I Love You If You Won’t Lie Down?”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Punks In the Beerlight“; “Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed
“; “I’m Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You
”
Recommended: To anyone that ‘s enjoyed their dark and twangy slacker rock over the years, this a solid group of songs. But the whole thing leaves me a bit frustrated – the best songs are too short and the weakest songs are too long.
Grade: B-
(As posted 11/21/05 on davepowersmusic.com)
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[…] Sound: David Berman’s deep, weathered and twangy baritone once again narrates a few more oddball American tales. Lookout Mountain is definitely brighter and more hopeful than the last Silver Jews album (2005’s Tanglewood Numbers) as it jumps from breezy alt country to jangly roots rock to quirky indie rock, and Berman’s wife Cassie frequently chimes in with spunky background vocals. They do, naturally, leave some room for a couple mellower and more despondent tunes. […]