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(Ipecac/Shock)
Californian hiphop-meets-dark film noir duo Vincent & Mr. Green are in ‘real’ life vocalist Jade Vincent and keyboardist / pianist Keefus Ciancia, and first emerged in their previous rock-laced incarnation Jade Vincent Experiment, before their efforts gave way to what they describe as ‘an electronic driven engine.’ Initially collaborating back in 1993, since their initial meeting Keefus has worked with a dizzying range of diverse names including Dr. Dre, E-40, Vic Chestnut, Fishbone and Elvis Costello, as well as being a founding member of hiphop outfit Weapon Of Choice. And if that wasn’t already a formidable enough CV, he’s also an in-demand pianist for soundtrack work, contributing parts to recent scores for the Cohen brothers’ ‘Ladykillers’ as well as Sam Raimi’s ‘Spiderman.’
Bizarrely enough, prior to signing to Mike Patton’s always unpredictable Ipecac, Vincent & Mr. Green’s most recent film appearance was the track ‘Drug State’, which featured in vacant chick-flick ‘Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood’, but fear not – this is not going to be some sweet syrupy voyage through sweet female vocals and gentle beats. The Ipecac label is certainly a reliable clue to that (after all this is the label that boasts Kid606 and Fantomas on its roster), but probably the best visual metaphor for the contents of this record is it’s cover, which depicts a rosy-skied ‘Gone With The Wind’ style sunset, but if you look closer you’ll notice in the background that the plantation mansion of romantic American lore is burning to its foundations.
Perhaps American gothic crossed with downtempo hiphop beats and eerie-Marlene Dietrich meets the angry howl of Beth Gibbons, PJ Harvey (or at moments even a subdued Diamanda Galas), cobwebs and minor-key piano tracing their way around the filmic atmosphere is the best ‘nutshell’ description of the sorts of sounds being explored here. Indeed, breathily-spoken intro segue ‘Preface’ immediately calls to mind PJ’s dry re-reading of Peggy Lee’s ‘Is That All There Is’, Vincent referring to the song as a personal totem over swelling European-tinged organs; “I felt she expressed my feelings exactly. But without the disappointment or disillusion. Quite the opposite.” From the outset it’s also obvious that Vincent & Mr. Green don’t shirk highly-personal (possibly autobiographical?) territory in their musical explorations.
‘Burn’ features the input of guest vocalist Benji Hughes, who trails his subtle harmonies around Vincent’s thirties-vamp styled husky vocal, a darkly bitter sting in the lyrical tail (“I’m not sorry that your house burnt down / And I wish it was me.”) as thudding Tom Waits’ junkyard style rusty hiphop beats and rolling piano paint a backdrop that drips with dark-skied theatrics. That it’s subtitled “Dear Father” (the entire record receives a dedication to the same), and that there’s a distinct lyrical theme involving (my interpretation) a father who leaves, and then drinks himself to death, should give a clue as to the dark subject matter here – but let’s not forget that some of the most brilliant American Gothic moments are built on this sort of stuff (let’s look at the man Cash, for a start).’Like You’ takes a soaring romantic turn, with Vincent’s winsome torchsong vocal (“Suddenly I’m wrapped up in your life”) gliding over stuttering hiphop jazz samples, rearranged live drum beats and glacial keys, the whole track slowly building up in a gloriously epic yet stained fashion, vibraphones adding a filmic slant alongside bursts of guitar feedback and sweeping dub FX.
‘Dance’ opens with eerie mournful strings, before slamming into hiphop beats and a buzzing synth bassline that calls to mind some of PJ Harvey’s electronic experimentation on ‘Is This Desire’, but it’s fused with a screeching out of control organ that brings closer associations with the dark travelling carnival of Mr. Bungle, a comparison brought out ever more by the chugging overdriven guitars and heavy rock drums that power below the beats. ‘Daddy’ ventures down into moody wandering bass and slow beats, and manages to conjure potent dark cabaret atmosphere out of Vincent’s wry “Daddy really loves me” lyric, before accelerating into a roar of dubbed-out electronic noise and guitar feedback, while ‘Whiskey Bound’ takes the overarching dark plotline to its bleak conclusion over slide guitars, stray vinyl crackle and slow murmuring piano keys, Vincent’s ghostly vocal (“Your Daddy’s gone / never to return”) trailing over slow motion beats and eerie background harmonies – there’s even a spectacular stumbling Hammond organ solo that takes things out on a jazzy note.
‘Will’ fuses Vincent’s obsessive sounding “What I want is what I need” lyrics with jagged gothic-sounding guitars and spooky clockwork beats, an almost music-box thing piano melody winding its way over a creeping bassline, sonar-like pings and sweeping violins, before ‘When We Were We’ brings this album to a close, feathery flamenco-like guitars and trailing piano notes swirling around Vincent’s breathy chanteuse vocal, before crashing rock drums and overdriven bass carve their way beneath eerie backwards samples and the vague crackle of vinyl noise.
This is an excellent and in particular, meticulously constructed debut album from Vincent & Mr Green that incorporates a sweeping range of influences; turn-of-the-century American Gothic atmospheres, dark cabaret torchsongs, dry cracking hiphop loops and faded-out cinematic orchestration, all the while avoiding any easy categorisation. Imagine the Paradise Motel (remember them?) and Tom Waits’ band circa ‘Mule Variations’ backing up Marlene Dietrich on vocals in a decaying Southern mansion while the Anticon guys spin loops in the background and you’re getting close…gothic cabaret hiphop? Sounds good to me… Recommended.
Check out http://www.vincent&mrgreen.com and http://www.ipecac.com.
