- Leonard’s Lair
- Dark Side of the Cop
- 4/5 Stars
- 2006
Another splendid album which appears to stem from the tradition of The
Flaming Lips, Dark Side Of The Cop have created their own
interpretation of the American dream. Self-produced and independently
released, this Vermont trio work to an understandably lower budget but
use it to their advantage, adding a real sense of intimacy to their
mysterious melodies. Across thirteen tracks, a tale is told of a man
pursuing a woman he knew from childhood; the record playing out like a
road trip with occasional macho statements (”We’ll put the bitch in
overdrive”) balanced by heartfelt harmonies and a sense of
helplessness. Many of these songs (’Fool In The Hills’, ‘Stuck In The
Darkness’ and ‘Little Things’ especially) pack an emotional and tuneful
punch and along the way, the warm ballad ‘Don’t Be Jealous’ suggests a
meeting between The Commodores and The Beach Boys. With part two of
this concept album due later in the year, it will be fascinating to see
how they develop the music as well as the storyline.