“I’ve got a song about an Octopus!”
Yes, and I love it, but Ringo might want to grab a pen and take some notes from his most recent film counterpart Jason Schwartzman.
To put it simply, if Sir Paul McCartney and Ben Folds had an illegitimate love child on the Abbey Road crosswalk, its name would be Coconut Records. Schwartzman keeps it simple, but poignant. “You are my voice, my microphone, so take me on.”
Popular actor Jason Schwartzman’s indie pop rock band Coconut Records released Davy last week. The album could be described as a burst of California sunshine in January and possibly an eclipsing follow-up to his highly successful and critically acclaimed 2007 debut album, Nighttiming.
A relatively short album with only 10 tracks and 28 minutes in length, it’s all content and no filler. Davy begins strong, and ends stronger.
From the first track and single “Microphone” to closer “Is This Sound Okay?” you find yourself in a permanent state of eyes closed, head bobbing motion, perhaps even the iconic McCartney bob if you’re talented.
Coconut Records is in essence, a Schwartzman solo project that emerged in 2006. Schwartzman not only writes the lyrics, but performs the majority of the instruments himself. And no, this doesn’t mean he sits on the studio couch lazily strumming an acoustic guitar while alternating a cigarette and a Starbucks Grande in the other hand.
Schwartzman displays an aptitude for music above and beyond his old Phantom Planet drum set. The music focuses on a bit of whimsical piano that would make Ben Folds nod his head, plus guitar, drum and percussion arrangements. In the song “Drummer,” a nod to his stint in Phantom Planet, a band you might know just for its popular “California” hit, Schwartzman makes use of some light McCartney style brass horn compositions.
Schwartzman has a penchant for drawing the listener in to try and figure out where the song is heading. I found myself frantically googling for lyrics mere seconds into the first song. He has a knack for keeping it light, but several songs have the potential of an anthem. I felt the urge to jump up, stamp my feet and shake my fist to “I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. Let it go,” in “I Am Young.”
All indie rockers sing about love, and some do quite effectively. The question is, can they open up about other matters of the heart?
Schwartzman writes about relationships and its companying hardships in “Saint Jerome” and “The Summer” then metaphorically pivots 180 degrees and tackles tough subjects such as the death of his father and the break up of the Phantom Planet in “Drummer.”.
Fortunately for us and our easily influenced waistlines, this was accomplished without bringing the music down to a ‘Where’s the cheesecake and a tub of double chocolate chunk fudge ice cream?’ Ray LaMontagne depression funk.
We all live in fear of buying a CD just to discover tracks 1, 2 and 5 were the highlights. The remaining nine are listened to a grand total of five to 10 seconds total before hitting Skip never to be heard from again. It’s happened to all of us.
Give Californian optimism a chance and let your guard down today. This is one of the lucky records that you pray for.

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