The Keys to Your Heart/ Open the Door to the World

It was my junior year of high school when I discovered U.N.K.L.E.'s Psyence Fiction. A collaborative mix of electronica between James Lavelle, DJ Shadow and a host of guests, I was most interested in hearing "Rabbit in Your Headlights," sung by Thom Yorke. Yet, there was another track that would draw my attention away from the Radiohead-esque songs - an angsty number called "Nursery Rhyme," which was my first introduction to the vocal stylings of Badly Drawn Boy. I found that he did not have any material in the United States, so it was not until two years later that I heard "Once Around the Block" and "Magic in the Air" on KCRW, subsequently falling in love. I purchased The Hour of Bewilderbeast and played it over and over again. Five years later, I remain a Badly Drawn Boy fan - disappointed only in 2004's One Plus One is One. It's rather common, I find, to hear one say they only like Bewilderbeast and nothing since. Yet, I found the About a Boy soundtrack album to be, in fact, his finest work. Have You Fed the Fish? - released the same year was his most ambitious effort yet and though flawed at points, remains a grand achievement.

BDB's albums are often characterized by lovely interludes and repeated themes and lyrics - creating an "album" listening experience not found in the majority of today's releases. I think virtually every mix cd I have ever made for someone has not only included my favorite Badly Drawn Boy tracks (of which there are many) but also been built around these interludes, so that I may tell such a story as well. Damon Gough - that being his real name - often sings of love and through his five albums, a bit of a love story has been created. This hits new peaks on his latest release - Born in the U.K., a record which is taking hits from critics, but finding nothing but love from me. It doesn't begin well - especially for one whose beginnings are usually remarkable - and lead single "Born in the U.K." is a bit of a disappointment. But once that concludes, it's as if he merely had to appease his record company with one single and then the real story begins.

I reviewed the album over at the Record Room, alongside a profile, with scores of his previous albums, so I will keep review like-wording to a minimum here. I'm even contemplating delving deeper into Fish later this afternoon.

I went and saw Badly Drawn Boy Wednesday night at Amoeba Records - the first time I'd seen him perform live. He and his two bandmates played three new songs before diving into a string of old favorites. Though he did seem a bit tired - as if touring just isn't the pleasure that it once was - it was really special to hear so many of these songs. When he asked a fan to open up a cd to read the lyrics to a song he'd forgotten, I found it more endearing than annoying.