By Brian Rock
Fantastic Cat cofounder, Brian Dunne serves up his fourth solo album, Clams Casino. Blending 70’s power pop with 80’s new wave; Dunne puts the fun in dysfunctional, as he dances with his personal demons of angst, alienation, and a touch of agoraphobia to insanely catchy power pop rhythms.
The title song is a good case in point. Ostensibly about simply wanting to enjoy the good things in life, Dunne moans, “I’ve been trying to have a good life, but no one wants you to be satisfied.” As if there were covert agents from some secretive government agency tracking his every moment of joy, he reveals a deep-seated paranoia – but you wouldn’t know it from the music. The melody marches merrily along with crunchy guitar licks and a synth enhanced musical bridge. Revealing a glimmer of self-awareness, he gives a counterpoint view through the response of his girlfriend: “She said all you do is bitch and moan. You’re never happy and you’re never at home. Everyone wants what they don’t have. And you really don’t have it half bad.” And if the song ended there, it would be a satisfying story arc. But Dunne continues, “I’m trying to express myself, you know the doctor said it might help.” Defending the very behavior that is making him miserable, Dunne keeps touching a hot stove and blaming the stove for his pain.
“Rockland County,” continues the merry misery. High energy Raspberries inspired melodies hint at a story of joy and triumph. But then Dunne sings, “Jamie wasn’t much fun anymore. She says everyone acts like a cheap little whore around here.” So much for joy and triumph. The song builds to a catchy, sing along chorus of, “Back where we started from.” In another song, it would be a happy refrain of returning home or mending a broken relationship; but here it is an admission of abject failure, and a giving up of dreams. “Play The Hits,” captures the lively, jangle-pop spirit of Tom Petty as Dunne mourns a career in decline. “Fake Version Of The Real Thing,” seizes the energy of early 80’s alt rockers like the Housemartins, as Dunne goes on a “Catcher In The Rye” rant about phonies. “Gracie Mansion,” recalls the energy of Springsteen’s “Born In The USA,” as Dunne expresses the angst of feeling, “so far away,” from even himself. “Max’s Kansas City,” pays tribute to a former New York city nightclub with spritely, Nick Lowe inspired rhythms. Against the cheery musical backdrop, he sings, “Sometimes I wanna spit in the face of the arrogance of the idiots that run this place.” Turning to gentle, Josh Ritter style Folk rhythms, Dunne again addresses shattered dreams on, “I Watched The Light.” Chronicalling the collapse of a friend’s musical career, Dunne sings, “The bottom’s only part way down. ‘Cause that’s where they take you for a ride.” Then there’s, “Graveyard.” The melody echoes the upbeat Folk Rock of the Jayhawks, complete with peppy hand claps. The lyrics, not so much.
Musically, “Clams Casino,” is a power pop masterpiece that evokes memories of The Raspberries, Tom Petty, and early Cheap Trick. Lyrically, it’s a cry for help. Everyone goes through periods of doubt and despair. These songs speak to those moments. But these dark spaces are no place to build a home. They exist to help build character on the way to better things. “Life sucks and then you die,” is a funny bumper sticker, but it’s no way to live a life. Maybe he could feature a song or two that shows the light at the end of the tunnel. Or maybe it’s possible Dunne himself hasn’t yet reached that place of peace and reconciliation. If so, it makes me want to get him a warm cup of chamomile tea, some Van Morrison albums and a copy of the Desiderata. It seems Dunne has a devious muse. She’s smart and sensitive, but also cynical and sardonic. She gives him gifts of musical brilliance with one hand, and seeds of despair with the other. But the best way to overcome despair is to help others. And Dunne should give himself credit for the help he gives through the cathartic comfort his music brings to others going through their own blue periods. So, if you should meet Brian Dunne, please give him a hug, and tell him everything will be alright – and reassure him that he’s a damn fine musical artist.
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Brian Rock
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