David & David
It's been a decade since the Eagles' Hotel California sent out the news flash to the hinterlands: Life under the palms consisted not only of Porsches and piñas but also of failed dreams and boredom. In case we'd forgotten or neglected albums by X that have come out to support the Eagles' thesis, we now have an update from two L.A. denizens named David—Ricketts and Baerwald—who poignantly depict the rusty side of Tinseltown in this debut album. The duo, who hooked up two years ago, write honest, aching accounts of those who went West with idealistic plans and ended up disillusioned, trapped in a surrealistic landscape where nihilism reigns and "all that money makes such a succulent sound." The sharply drawn characters in Boomtown haven't the means to fight their ennui with the jet-set sins of the Eagles' Life in the Fast Lane; instead they must medicate themselves with cheap booze in crummy bars, petty violence and "the art of babble." Okay, so it's not You Light Up My Life. But before reaching for the Valium ("Pick a habit/ We got plenty to go around"), tap a foot to the decidedly upbeat sound couching the message. The music, mainly by Ricketts, 32, is of the pleasant, midtempo, country-rock variety, though such cuts as Being Alone Together suffer from too much ominous background staccato, the kind most people these days associate with suspenseful scenes in Miami Vice. The tune to Swallowed by the Cracks is so sprightly in fact that with a lyric other than "Swallowed by the cracks/ Fallen so far down/ Like the rest of those clowns begging bus fare back" it could pass for slightly hyper Jackson Browne. Baerwald, 26, who is responsible for the words, handles the bulk of the vocals. His isn't the smoothest voice, but its raspy edge and cynical twang convey the desperation of people waiting anxiously for something—anything—to happen while they deal dope out of back rooms and "always listen to the ground." Until the Big Earthquake hits the Big Orange, this LP may be as rattling to L.A. as anything above the surface. (A&M)
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