He may be destined to remain the quietly-sung, lesser-known anti-hero of contemporary American songwriting, but Cass McCombs is now accustomed, if not suited to the role. Having released his previous two albums – PREfection, and the acclaimed A – on 4AD, the nomadic Californian has found a new home on Domino for his third outing. It was a wise move on his part; with the backing of a label renowned for nurturing and developing their acts, and with a collection of songs as strong as those on offer here, McCombs ought to amass a new wave of admirers before the year is out.
Dropping The Writ may not have an instantaneous ‘wow’ factor, but it’s undeniably a striking album that intrigues, rather than impacts, upon first listen. There’s evidence of a master songwriter at work here, as McCombs weaves and braids elements of dream-pop, melancholic ’80s indie, and sinister, fantastical folk into his music.
From the quasi-gothic Get Behind Me, Satan sentiment of the eerie opener ‘Lionkiller’, to the crackling Jens Lekman-style shimmer of ‘Morning Shadows’ and ‘Crick In My Neck’, there’s enough of both the off-kilter and the accessible to please both established fans and newcomers – while nods are given to influences as diverse as Fairport Convention, Lloyd Cole and Donovan.
Dropping The Writ essentially captures the kind of sound that most modern bands spend whole careers trying to perfect; for that reason alone, Cass McCombs should be hailed as one of the most criminally underrated songwriters of recent years.
KEY TRACK: 'morning shadows'