Passenger - Wicked Man's Rest

Genre indie-pop Publisher Cooking Vinyl

The debut album from Passenger, Wicked Man's Rest, released in the UK in early 2007, finally saw the light of day on this side of the pond August 5th. That we had to wait this amount of time is a genuine shame. Hailing from Brighton, England, Mike Rosenberg and Andrew Phillips head up this five-piece ensemble and provide a quirky, slightly askew variation on traditional balladry. The band at times most recalls David Gray with a sense of humor or James Blunt if his lyrics weren't so damn, incessantly twee. Mr. Rosenberg shows an impressive aptitude for lyrical expression and Mr. Phillips nails the tone with the composition with astounding precision. Whether it's the upbeat pop melodies on the stalker anthem "Night Vision Binoculars" or the wistful melancholy so apparent on "Girl I Once Knew," each track has a focused lyrical message and the music strikes just the right mood for the subject at hand.

Opening the album with title track, "Wicked Man's Rest," Passenger hints at the oddities that exist throughout. Easing into the song with a soft, soothing piano melody, things begin in earnest with the introduction of the rest of the instrumentation, followed by Mike Rosenberg singing in a staggered staccato in time with the percussion. Once the refrain is reached, begin to feel a tad more traditional (melodic vocals, almost cloying background music), only to revert the instant the following verse kicks in. As noted above, "Night Vision Binoculars" is definitely a tale told from the first person perspective of a misguided individual with a sunny, catchy pop rhythm. In a true testament to Rosenberg's writing prowess, the track actually manages to lure the listener into empathizing (please note the usage of empathize, rather than sympathize) with this poor soul (as opposed to "I Will Possess Your Heart" from Death Cab for Cutie's most recent outing, which frankly makes our skin crawl) while the narrator relates that "I'm the boy that's calling your house/ I'm the boy that's freaking out/ With my thermos of tea/ Up there in your neighbor's tree." In a similar vein is "Do What You Like." About the closest this collection comes to a traditional pop rock song (guitar driven, up-tempo), the lyrics describe the less romantic side of unrequited love. Veering sharply from the quiet yearning present on many of the other tacks, Rosenberg paints a picture of the anger and jealously felt by boy who can't let go but has essentially been used as a taxi service ("A taxi's just a fiver/ But I'm your designated driver/ So, I'll wait for you" while the young lady is upstairs with another).

The most common pitfall bands of this kind fall into is constantly wallowing or whining (yes, we are pointing directly at you, James Blunt), but Passenger manages to avoid this in all but a few isolated instances. A track like "Girl I Once Knew," with it's focus on reminiscing on a distant ex, is in danger of devolving into a mess of self-pity. Instead, it is lifted by the late revelation that while the subject may force some comparison, in the end, the current situation is heads above the one being recalled. That little bit of optimism rescues and changes the perceived tone of the song in it's entirety. The band also utilizes light jokes and sarcastic cracks to take soften some of the edges on track like "Table for One" and "Needle in the Dark."

In a day and age when we see near instant release of every new Brit-rock clone in the U.S., it is sad that it took more than a year for Wicked Man's Rest to see release. Well, better late than never. It is rare to find a collection of songs that can be so striking from start and then continue to grow on the listener from there. Anyone looking for an album with emotional resonance and just enough quirk to stand out from the crowd could do much worse than to pick up Passenger's debut.