THE VISIBLE MEN
In Socks Mode (Leisure King)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Dustin Lanker and Dan Schmid have been fixtures on the Eugene, OR, indie scene for awhile, working their way through various bands playing various styles, but as The Visible Men they've come up with something as close to original as pop music provides for. A minimalist duo (Lanker plays keys and sings, Schmid plays bass and keeps quiet), they're accompanied on their debut album by a rotating group of drummers, but they keep the sound very spare and very personal for the most part. If a duo playing quirky songs with spare arrangements sounds vaguely like, oh, They Might Be Giants, well, the connection is very vague. The centerpiece here are Lanker's songs, and he's an original songwriting talent.

Whether bemoaning the fate of becoming increasingly depressed over not having $90 to pay for therapy for his depression, making the frank confession that "I pound my pud like Leon Spinks," (and anyone who can work Leon Spinks into a lyric deserves bonus points) or declaring himself the monarch of turdland, Lanker is rarely cheerful, but his music is curiously cheering. The compact arrangements emphasize the content of the songs, and they're songs worth paying attention to. Hopefully this one will break them out of the regional scene and get attention far and wide. It got mine.

Track List:

Dial Tone * Core Of The Planet * Blow Shit Up * $90 * Hall Of Fame * Strange Hash * Poker Face * Semen Factory * On The Sidelines * King Shit

© 2002 - Shaun Dale