Weeping in Fits and Starts

August 15 - 22, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

**1/2 Weeping in Fits and Starts

THIS WRECK IS GOIN' DOWN

(Rhubarb)
One suspects that singer/guitarist Greg Jacobs's tongue is planted as firmly in his cheek as his heart is upon his sleeve. The chief emotions range from bitterly sardonic to hopelessly wistful, often in the same song. The sparseness of the arrangements contrasts nicely with the lushness of the melodies and double-tracked vocals. Jacobs displays some of the tang of early R.E.M. in his vocals and guitar work, as well as the heartfelt sensibilities (but not the politics) of, say, Billy Bragg. Many of the songs examine the decay of relationships; some cling to the remaining pieces ("How Can I Get Half?"), even as others smirk in the ruins ("Get You to Me").
Not every song is about lost love: the jaunty "Big Fish" is touted as "an ode to the small business." Two are instrumentals: the sleepy title track, and the maracas-driven "Riding Green Riding Bike," which ends in some kind of studio collision. Still, Jacobs's primary grist seems to be romantic angst, and spinning Spector-esque symphonies to the lovelorn his specialty.
-- Mary Ricciardi