This Note’s for You

 

ARAB STRAP Elephant Shoe (Jetset)

Elephant Shoe, the latest release from Scottish songwriting duo Arab Strap, is easily the most miserable set of tunes since . . . well, since Arab Strap’s Philophobia. As was the case on the group’s previous releases, there’s simply no mistaking that Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton are genuinely screwed-up souls. And while Moffat’s tales are certainly cause to give thanks you’re not one of those fucked-up artist/musician types, his pain and confusion (which manifest as ambivalence), paired with Middleton’s artfully constructed soundscapes, make for some of the most morose yet refined stuff going.

The recipe has changed little; if anything, it’s only become more articulate. Hauntingly beautiful backing tracks that could easily stand on their own float along, barely moving. The arrangements are sparse and gentle, with each guitar, bass and piano line carefully and delicately placed. Moffat’s contribution is a series of half-sung recitations from a man who sounds weary not just of love, sex and the world but of life itself. While pieces like “Cherubs” and “Aries the Ram” are typically austere snapshots — a one-sided conversation — a couple of cuts, the disturbing “Pyjamas” and the soaring “Direction of Strong Man” (which comes closest to hitting a groove) coalesce into nothing less than stunning works of art. To paraphrase Aussie Paul Kelly, Moffat excels at “picking sores” — fleshing out the most unpleasant parts of the most unpleasant times of relationships. In “Pyjamas,” over Middleton’s airy quilt of sound, he notes, “There’s at least a foot between us — do you really need pyjamas in this heat?” Who hasn’t been there?

Meanwhile, “Pro- (Your) Life” deals with abortion — in a way that will surely make the Indigos cringe: “You know I’d love it/a little us would be sweet/but don’t take that from your pro-life pal/she doesn’t even eat meat/It’s as simple as this: The time’s not right/You need a new job/and some sleep tonight.” Unless you’re an experienced (or aspiring) bottom dweller, Arab Strap may be an acquired taste — but Middleton and Moffat make wallowing in the dark muck an almost blissful experience. (Michael Lipton)