The MUSIC LOVERS should, by all rights, be major cult figures. The San Francisco band has a distinctive, immediately identifiable sound, an elegant blend of SCOTT WALKER sweep, SERGE GAINSBOURG slyness, British guitar pop hooks and DUSTY SPRINGFIELD soul. Even better, the group’s leader MATTHEW EDWARDS can lay fair claim to being the best songwriter in the world right now, and I don’t say that lightly.
The Lovers’ prior albums The Words We Say Before We Sleep and The Music Lovers’ Guide For Young People, were absolute masterpieces of smart, soulful pop. Masculine Feminine isn’t quite as immediately appealing as those two, but that merely means it takes more listens to appreciate its virtues. Edwards shifts his attention from easy hooks to a more sophisticated melodic approach, adopting an almost COLE PORTER feel to songs like “L’Amor Parodie,” “The Wherewithal” and the title tune. “The Weekender” indulges in melancholy psychedelic folk that’s unlike anything the Lovers have before attempted. “Autumn Royal” even eschews the band to put Edwards’ silky croo, in his most blatant Walker tribute yet, over a string section. The songs unfold effortlessly but elegantly, asking for close listening rather than singalongs.
But that’s not to say Edwards has lost appreciation for the value of a good hook. “Saturday” and the almost impossibly arch “A Word From Your Fashion Editor” are crisp, electric pop tunes that don’t sacrifice accessibility for ambition, and “The Land of Beautiful Girls” adds some girl-group flavoring for a grand, emotional sweep. While these descriptions makes the Lovers’ music seem so meticulously crafted as be technical exercises rather than self-expression, it’s not the case. Few songwriters are as good as Edwards at channeling emotion without ever approaching bombast – he can sing “I’m in love with a girl that tears my heart out” with a matter-of-fact tone that doesn’t beat us over the head with manufactured heartbreak.
Ultimately, I doubt Masculine Feminine will garner the Music Lovers any more attention than any of their previous platters, and that’s a terrible shame. The masses may ignore this record’s brilliance, but more fool they. Trust me on this one: the Music Lovers are one of the greatest bands around.
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