MUSIC REVIEW: ONLY SON - 'SEARCHLIGHT'

From Lo-Fi to An Album More Refined in Illumination

January 20, 2011

(Onlysonmusic) “This song is called ‘All is Holy’ because I want it to be true” is a line that disarms with charm and wide-eyed awe. It’s not an overblown statement or far-reaching claim. What it is is typical of the rest of the collection. Jack Dishel as Only Son is delivering his second album, Searchlight, with a sense of genuine humility and excitement at the opportunities that life presents.

There’s nothing grandiose anywhere here. This is human-scale songwriting, and all the subjects are within walking distance from one another. Even when the surreal, the absurd, and the twists of reality happen in lyrical exploration, intimacy and ease of approach is key.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that the former Moldy Peaches man approaches life with a stoicism and wit that feels pocket-size yet powerfully good. When you know a man loves Lo-Fi, you know he’s going to find genuine poetry in telephones, parking lots, and the type of stuff that we live in and around. Issues of infinity, genetic programing, and mortality add extra dimension to whimsical charm and give a feeling that enthusiastic amateur research has been thoroughly conducted.

Dishel does use metaphor in his songwriting, but often he deals with things just as they are, in all the magic and wonder of their true nature. A simplicity of perspective keeps things honest, and musical arrangements keep traditional, more or less. The usual Rock n’ Roll kit turns up, with guitars driving most tracks; strings come in when needed, and synths add a sense of occasional luxury.

The acoustic moments, or at least the less rocky pieces, are where Dishel’s strengths lie. When former touring friend Regina Specktor turns up to lend vocals against the backdrop of strings and more Classical stuff, we know we’ve hit gold. “Call Them Brothers” is a song that will survive long into the future. Family and friends are analyzed, and relationships are called into question. It’s the deconstruction of affairs that sits with listeners like an artifact that can be turned around in their fingers, passed to the next generation to show how great songs were built, back in the day. “Can’t we find something else to pretend?” is a phrase delivered just as melancholy gives way to something more haunting. Eleanor Rigby could well be an ancestor of this cast.

Other guests to the studio include members of The Strokes, of Montreal, and Robbers on High Street. It seems like artists really know where Art is happening, and they want to be involved. Each song presented is the best version of itself. There are as many moods as there are songs on the album, all unified with the common denominator of quality. Quite often, white boys with guitars can succumb to the pull of their own bleeding hearts and raging tides of over-valued emotion. Only Son avoids such limp theatrics. This is singer-songwriter fare of the highest caliber.

Searchlight is one of those albums that deserves to spread. It has the feel of being an important moment in the life of Jack Dishel, but perhaps too humble to announce itself to your louder friends. Maybe you should do it a favor and take it on a road-trip, introduce it to new people. This is most definitely road-trip-worthy. You could ride for hours with just this album played on loop; it would make for excellent company, and you’d never grow tired of the conversation. The people you introduce it to will thank you. Promise.

Standout Tracks: “All is Holy,” “Call Them Brothers,” “Magic,” “Searchlight”
For Fans Of: Regina Specktor, Moldy Peaches, Adam Green, Kimya Dawson, The Strokes