Lisa Germano
Excerpts From A Love Circus
»
Lisa Germano
Excerpts From A Love Circus
4AD, 1997
RiYL: Throwing Muses, Red House Painters, PJ Harvey |
But that's the beauty of the songs. However depressing it may be to hear the tune "Bruises," in which the artist mutters "coffee in the morning and wine in the evening / and everything else is just boring, boring," something in the song forces the listener to crack a smile, even if just for a second.
Maybe it's Germano's off-kilter voice. Maybe it's the recordings of her housecats yelping in between tracks. Whatever the case, there's a mystery inherent in the music that demands listening. The aptly-titled "Forget It, It's A Mystery'' forces contemplation with lines such as "I hate you because I love you / I'm talking about myself, see / I'm manic since you made me."
While Germano's lyrics might seem about as direct as can be, one can't help reading between the lines. She sings a seemingly meaningless line such as "baby on the plane / woman beside her / oh yeah, your eyes and tequila" behind swirling guitars and a steady beat in opener "Baby On The Plane,'' while using Victoria's Secret as a metaphor for self-loathing in the song of the same name. Germano wonders "what is Victoria's secret? / just what I need shoved in my face / hoping I'll change someday." Her defiance of social norms, albeit slow-burning, shines clear and bright.
But Excerpts is not limited to the languor common to most of Germano's previous repertoire. Yes, "We Suck'' is a slow, dreamy anti-ballad. But "Small Heads'' is about as poppy as can be, and "Lovesick'' relies on a drum machine to provide its downtrodden feel.
The album, produced by Paul Mahern and recorded at Germano's house in Bloomington, Indiana, includes assistance from a veritable all-star cast of Bloomington artists such as El Nino's Glenn and John Hicks, John Strohm, Jake Smith, Josh Silbert and Kenny Aronoff.
Depression, schizophrenia and abuse aren't uplifting topics. But Germano's knack for conveying her struggles without hammering listeners over the head shows real talent.
JONATHAN COHEN | Jonathan Cohen co-created Nude As The News with his Indiana University mates Troy Carpenter and Ben French. When not traversing the globe for business and pleasure, he holds down the fort as a senior editor for Billboard in New York. Stop him and he just may ask, "what for lunch?"