For most of the decade now, Robert Deeble's ambient, acoustic, alternative folk has lulled plenty of late-night coffee-shop goers into that smoky philosophical realm of deep and strange thought. His first album under the Days Like These moniker garnered critical praise a few years back, but not much else. Since then he's been playing live a lot, most recently with his band opening for Vigilantes of Love and solo in New Zealand. Now he comes shuffling back with a much-anticipated sophomore album, Earthside Down, that pretty much sticks to familiar territory.
Deeble has a deep and breathy, cracked-earth voice, kind of a laid-back mix of Dylan, Lou Reed, and a three-o'clock-in-the-morning whispering Bono. He seems to sing lower than before, with occasional female vocals drifting in and out of the background on a track or two. The instrumentation remains the same: delicate acoustic picking, deep cello vibrations, sparse percussion, and stand-up bass that hums and thumps wonderfully in the speakers. Ambient drum loops are a new addition on several tracks, and for the most part they bring a welcome change in atmosphere without destroying the organic nature of Deeble's music. Stephen Hodges (drummer for Tom Waits, Mike Watt) and Anthony Arvisu return as producers extraordinaire. You really need a good pair of headphones to soak in the layer upon layer of eclectic sounds in the mix. Earthside Down is heaven for the patient connoisseur of textures, but agonizing sameness and boredom for the easily sleepy.
The prerelease has no lyric sheet so it's hard to make sense of Deeble's poetry, but you can be sure it's all about love and life and loss from a believer who's been around the emotional block. Cool phrases like "Jesus is your friend, when you're still a child" and "Say dear friend, faith in you knows no end" echo in my ears long after the hearing. The title track is the most accessible song, with a recognizable chorus of "just like heaven" backed by a straight-forward and strong bass/drum rhythm. Most of the album, though, is for lovers of mumbled and personal but beautiful poetry. If you have any doubt as to your affection for such art, you might want to stay away. Otherwise, pour some coffee and relax with Earthside Down.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis 1999Reviewed by ConradYou really have to be into slow acoustic type music to like this guy. For this genre of really soft vocals and creative music, this album is really good. But this album was not intended for people like me. So while it was good, this would put me to sleep within two songs. This album is recorded great - everything sounds really good. If you like slow acoustic music, you'll be able to appreciate…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Tom Bastian"Alternative folk rock" is what I have heard Robert Deeble's style of music called, so I guess that is a pretty good description. Overall, his vocals really reminded me of Bono from U2, which is a good thing. This album as a whole kind of had a moody or dark feel to it. Not really upbeat folk at all, but more of a dark moody folk, with a modern creative feel. Most of the songs are within the…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by TimThis CD was very interesting to listen to. I have to admit it is a breath of fresh air after listening to countless emo and punk bands. Finally someone is playing music that isn't inspired by Jimmy Eat World or Operation Ivy. As for the music parts of the CD, well, the lyrics are well thought out, but the melodies aren't all there. C+Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Matt R.Deeble's long awaited second album has been out for some time now, and like the first album, it is a record that critics rave about but never quite catches on with the general public. Much of this is due to the type of music Deeble plays. With his smooth whispery vocals, and music that could be considered mellow folk, this is a record that could easily be played in a room full of people and never…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by James StewartIt was his support slot with Vigilantes of Love last year which established Robert Deeble in my mind, but this album shows that there is a lot more to this man than a promising opening artist. The sound is restrained and somewhat foreboding in feel, similar in a way to some of Dan Donovan's solo work; but it's unlikely that either of these musicians is more than passingly familiar with the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinZzzzzzzzzzzz...wake up! It's time for Earthside Down. A worthy successor to 1994's Days Like These, Deeble's latest is a mighty nice mix of after midnight music and vocal mumblings on metaphysical musings. Shuffling beats and ambling bass underlay laid-back guitar licks and lethargic vocals reminiscent of a cross between a stateside Robyn Hitchcock and Bono employing his lazy, soulful side. In…Similar sounding releases
1997Dan DonovanThe Leaven Dell
2001Liz JanesDone Gone Fire
1998Pinetop SevenNo Breath in the Bellows
2000Shannon StephensShannon Stephens
2001Simon JoynerHotel Lives
2002David HurnHe Was a Woman
