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For the eclectically inclined listener, artists and groups that defy genre categorization are a delight. Certainly, such artists are the bane of record company marketing departments (to the extent that such things exist, in an era when that the burden\/task of marketing has been shunted onto the artists\u2019 list of duties) but adventurous ears welcome the unclassifiable.<\/p>\n
Fancying myself among that population, I welcome the release of each new album from Chicago group The Claudettes. Fronted by the gentle and deeply expressive vocals of Berit Ulseth, the group makes music that doesn\u2019t fit easily into any musical category. And The Claudettes can be counted on to deliver the unexpected.<\/p>\n
While previous albums have showcased a rollicking, uptempo musical approach, The Claudettes Go Out!<\/i> opens with the sweet and contemplative \u201cA Lovely View.\u201d Johnny Iguana\u2019s grand piano and Ulseth\u2019s charming voice are at the center of the song\u2019s arrangement. String player Zach Verdoorn (on bass and guitar) and drummer Michael Caskey are more felt than heard until near the song\u2019s conclusion. But even with the minimalist arrangement, it\u2019s a work of grandeur and beauty.<\/p>\n
\u201cPark Bench\u201d leans in an urbane, sophisticated pop direction, a wonderful kind of cross between Petula Clark and Joe Jackson. Jim Cooper\u2019s lovely orchestration adds another layer to The Claudettes\u2019 set of musical tools. \u201cAmerican Sky\u201d serves up the saloon jazz-informed style that has characterized some (but of course not all) of The Claudettes\u2019 previous work, and it\u2019s wedded to a timeless pop tune with hints of the classic Brill Building style.<\/p>\n
\u201cDozing in the Crypt\u201d combines goth and cabaret styles, with a stomping backbeat and slashing guitar. But the song\u2019s vibe conjures mental images of Ulseth in a glittery cocktail dress, leaning sassily on the edge of Iguana\u2019s piano. (He\u2019s droning menacingly on low notes all the while.) Verdoorn turns in some tasty slide guitar on the tuneful and hypnotic \u201cTime Won\u2019t Take Our Times Away.\u201d<\/p>\n
The glistening, genteel character of \u201cThe Waves\u201d stands apart from anything we\u2019ve heard before from The Claudettes, too. But it\u2019s executed with style and conviction, and a haunting arrangement. The melancholy \u201cThere\u2019s Too Much Affection in This World\u201d is as close as the group comes to baroque pop, and they give the style their own spin.<\/p>\n
Encountering \u201cExposure\u201d may give the listener the sonic equivalent of whiplash. It owes a debt to \u201880s ska, and sounds wholly unlike anything else on the album, with rumbling machine-gun fire blasts from Verdoorn\u2019s guitar. Vocals from Ulseth\u2019s band mates suggest a Windy City answer to Oingo Boingo, or something.<\/p>\n
The swaying, sultry cocktail pop of \u201cCowboy\u201d transports the listener back to less manic territory. It sounds most like a single, and in a just world, a hit<\/i> single. Caskey\u2019s subtle percussion is a delight.<\/p>\n
Johnny Iguana leads the band on an uptempo closing number, the brilliant and splashy \u201cThe Show Must Go On (And Then the Show Must End).\u201d Ulseth delivers her vocals with a perfect balance of enthusiasm and exquisite ennui. Verdoorn tears up a majestic guitar break, and Iguana and Caskey offer spirited support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last song has to be your best,\u201d Ulseth tells us. Maybe, maybe not: All ten tracks on The Claudettes Go Out!<\/i> are winners.<\/p>\n