Folk Implosion
disappeared from view not long after
Dare to Be Surprised
, which failed to capitalize on
"Natural One"
's surprise success. Perhaps the group effort of 1998's
The Sebadoh
made
Lou Barlow
want to claim control of
on
One Part Lullaby
. Though
John Davis
is credited with co-writing the songs, "
Lou
sang lead vocal and wrote most of the words," making this feel like a
Barlow
solo project blessed with greater popcraft. It's more cohesive than
, built around the trip-hop/new wave blend that made
a hit, but that turns out to be a mixed blessing. Part of the charm of
was that it felt like two friends just kicking back, making weird noises, and writing quirky songs. Some of that remains, especially in the cheap synths and other electronic instrumentation, but
is far more measured, filled with songs performed at the same basic tempo, with similar hooks and arrangements. It's not mellow, necessarily, but has a meditative mood, which fits
's disarmingly introspective lyrics -- something familiar to
Sebadoh
and solo albums, but previously unheard of on
Implosion
albums. Parts of
work very well, but it's also curiously flat. The modern rock production feels two years out of date -- shiny and commercial for 1996-1997, but an anomaly in 1999.
's writing is too emotionally insular and musically similar for it to be truly engaging throughout and mutes the carefree spirit of previous
albums; worst of all, it feels like he's repeating himself. That's not to say
is a failure -- when
and
Davis
pull it all together, the results are as strong as anything else the duo has recorded. As a whole, however, it winds up being strangely unengaging. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine