Humor RIsk
7.8/10
Pretty ambitions this Cass McCombs. Humor Risk is the indie rocker’s second album…of the year. Nearly six months ago, McCombs dropped the gentle WIT’S END that featured the glorious opening track “County Lines,” - a song that will surely end up on a number of year-end-lists. WIT’S END was full of tender, nighttime moments where the crooner’s voice virtually glided over well-crafted folk arrangements. But Humor Risk can be seen as WIT’s END counterpart; it’s a daytime record with eight lively tracks that rest on melody and steady hooks.
Humor Risk opens up with its best track, “Love Thine Enemy.” Crunchy guitars blast throughout the song over a steady melody as McCombs sings lyrics such as “Nothing about my love could be called insincere,” and “Every idiot thing you say speaks of pain and truth.” Second track, “The Living World,” is lovely spiritual song where the singer-songwriter coos “The world came first/The living world.” ”Robin Egg Blue” is the LP’s most lively cut where McCombs really achieves an immediate melody and rhythm. Like several songs on the record, “Robin Egg Blue” deals with religion, which has been and hot-and-cold subject for him. He sings about snakes, St. Jude and sharing these special Robin’s eggs with the two. He also sings “Can he raise the dead again/Call me robin egg blue.”
The gritty/Velvet Underground “Mystery Man” is a fun song but drags on and clocks in at nearly 8 minutes. The other tracks are forgettable - the hooks are too flimsy and there aren’t enough bright, booming moments that are on Humor Risk’s other tracks to keep things interesting. Even though WIT’S END is the other-side-of-the-coin, almost all of its tracks had something going for them, which created a warm and captivating listening experience. At Humor Risk’s worst, it sounds like some of the tracks were slapped on to make it an album but it would probably have worked better if “Meet me At the Mannequin Gallery,” ”To Every Man His Chimera” and “The Same Thing” were left off and it was turned into an EP.
Fans of McCombs work will really enjoy Humor Risk, however. Taken for what it is, it can provide you with a handfull of dirty, inspiring, fall jams. It may not be McCombs’ best work, but it is in the very least, absolutely satisfying.
