There will undoubtedly not be one review of David Lynch’s first solo album that neglects to compare it to his long and sordid history in film. Pitchfork at least manages to focus on the music he has used in his films, and indeed the music he has created or co-created for past projects. Needless to say, very few people listening to Crazy Clown Time will approach it without some preconceived ideas about what they expect to hear. Such comparisons to Lynch’s filmography are somewhat justified given that a lot of the music evokes some very Lynchian imagery.
The album kicks off with Pinky’s Dream, picking up almost mid-riff where seemingly something dark and unsettling has left off. Karen O brings her textbook dark indie punk vocals to one of the strongest tracks on the album. The track also introduces listeners to the intense reverb that permeates heavily throughout the entire album. The guitars are barely distinguishable from the distant bass as they echo off the outer reaches of the song.
Good Day Today, the first single from the album, changes the style if not the pace or the atmosphere. Akin to a super-sensitive Moby track, the electronica blends surprisingly well with Lynch’s own synthesised and distorted vocals and would have sat very well on the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Those vocals become a repetitive feature throughout the rest of the record, with So Glad’s simplistic lyrics underpinning the simplicity of the whole track. Noah’s Ark, while continuing with the monotonal distorted vocals that defines the album, has lyrics that provide an interesting spin on how the title of the track gets its name.
The vocals for Football Game must have been laid down on a busy day for Lynch as it sounds like he’s still finishing his sandwich. That or he decided to actually play a football game where someone had broken his jaw before heading into the booth. The lazy reverbed guitar lolls and echoes back and forth and, coupled with the very similar I Know, would cause one to drop off if it weren’t for the truly surprising Strange and Unproductive Thinking. The track features a pounding bassline that really works and fast becomes Lynch’s most upbeat number, but is starkly juxtaposed with his vocoder ramblings on positive thinking, cosmic awareness, the existence of opposing ideas, the pursuit of critical thinking, and seemingly most important, an emphasis on dental hygiene and plaque formation. It has to be heard, whether you find the long robotic sentences mesmerising or jarring, it is undeniably Lynchian.
The title track is probably the most unsettling for a variety of reasons. Lynch has said that "crazy clown time" simply means the fun that can be had whilst drinking beer. But listening to Crazy Clown Time should be a reminder to all never to drink beer with David Lynch. His aching falsetto that squirms its way throughout the track feels like it gets into every pore and makes you want to take a shower. The stabbing backwards effects, the dirty blues guitar and the pained orgasmic moans of the backing vocals all make you feel like you've just stumbled upon the Devil's Rejects relaxing on their front porch before doing a number on someone. Most likely you.
Most of the rest of the album sinks back into a comfortless and dark place, with the almost painfully strained vocals pining for lost (or rather taken) love, highlighting the loneliness that comes with considering inanimate objects as friends, and lamenting the loss of identity. She Rise Up rounds off the album with Lynch reinterpreting the dark alternative blues that has punctured the record into a synthesised ballad for another lost love, once again making good use of his vocoder.
While nowhere near as disturbing as one might have expected from the man who brought us Blue Velvet, Lynch's debut LP is more unsettling. That almost makes it worse, as you can feel the tension and creepiness building the further into the record you get. It is most definitely worth a listen, and although it may not be known as one of the classic albums of this young decade, it will most certainly make you want to cleanse your soul after wallowing in its grime.
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