Hearing that
Frank Black
's
Show Me Your Tears
is an angry record that was inspired by his work in therapy conjures up visions of pathetically self-absorbed diary
rock
along the lines of Can I Borrow a Feeling?, the album that
The Simpsons
'
Kirk Van Houten
wrote upon divorcing his wife,
Louann
. Fortunately, such worries are unfounded. While
is the most
singer/songwriterly
album of
Black
's solo career, it's also an engaging and often funny collection of songs that rivals his most recent creative peak,
Dog in the Sand
. In fact, this album might even be slightly better; while
felt driven by its brilliant stylistic turns,
is compelling because of its emotional resonance. Musically, the album isn't much different than its predecessors: songs like
"Everything Is New,"
"My Favorite Kiss,"
and
"New House of the Pope"
trade in the sunburned Western
, confessional, countrified
pop
, and bluesy musing that have formed the foundation of
's sound for the past four albums. However, they seem to have more substance and feeling invested in them, especially compared to
Black Letter Days
Devil's Workshop
, which now feel more like clearinghouses for
's weaker ideas than ever. Though this is probably his most sincere album to date, thankfully
isn't about po-faced earnestness; in fact, its opening song,
"Nadine,"
is bold and raunchy, with lyrics like "That girl got skin like a ghost" echoing the odd sexuality of
the Pixies
"Is She Weird"
13 years later. Likewise,
"The Snake"
could be about being a low-down guy or Chinese astrology;
"Massif Central"
would be almost as bouncy, angular, and distant as his earlier solo work if not for
's repeated entreaties of "please don't run away." Perhaps not surprisingly considering its origins,
is one of his most emotionally wide-ranging albums, spanning the sweetly self-effacing
"Coastline,"
the slightly dangerous
"This Old Heartache,"
and the good-natured
"Jaina Blues."
But the album's best songs express more than just one feeling; in much the same way that the Chinese character for crisis also means opportunity, on
"Horrible Day"
celebrates making friends with his worries about death, loneliness, and divorce, singing "For the first time in my life I just don't care" with a liberated glee. Far from being an angry album,
is filled with the kind of conscious joy that comes from working through your problems. If
had to do a confessional
singer/songwriter
album, it's unlikely he could've found a better way to do it. ~ Heather Phares