Mortal goes acoustic? Now I've seen everything!
I own a lot of "various artists" CD's. The problem with them is that they tend to not be very listenable as albums, in my opinion. Brow Beat is different. Being a collection of acoustic tracks from alternative acts, the project has a good sense of coherence.
Among the acts included, the only real surprise is Mortal, with a cut called "Bleeder." Most of the album is made up of acoustic cuts from artists who have dabbled in that genre before: Terry Taylor, The Choir, Mike Knott, Poor Old Lu, and Lost Dogs.
One of the album's flaws is that it has an excessively brooding tone. Granted, the LA alternative crowd (well represented on this album) isn't known for bright, sunshiny songs, but sometimes I just wanted to say, "Lighten up a bit!" Mercifully, however, "Keep Me In Mind" by Dig Hay Zoose and "Drenched Decent" by Poor Old Lu provided enough good feelings to get me through the dirges that Mortal and Undercover contributed.
"No Ship Coming In," by the supergroup Lost Dogs, is a disappointment for me. The sound of this song reminds me of the forced artificiality I associate with contrived commercial products like the Traveling Wilburys. In all fairness, I must add that I have not given the most recent Lost Dogs' album, Little Red Riding Hood, a close listen yet.
One thing to remember about acoustic music is that it tends to be a bit less immediately accessible than fully produced pop or rock music. By that, I mean that this isn't a record that you are likely to fully appreciate on the first or second listen. This is music that has to sink in a bit and be thought about for a while. If you are willing to put forth the effort, it may well be worth it.
