Like an amateur chef trying to bake cookies, Arthur Lee Land follows the right recipe on his album Dragonfly but ends up with a mediocre product. You might say these cookies are just a little too salty.
Land starts out with the right ingredients — a strong voice that's just rough enough around the edges, impressive guitar-playing skills and a small army of skilled backup musicians. But while Dragonfly is a solid album, it just doesn't stand out.
The overall sound is a rootsy blend of styles that Land pulls off without a hitch. The album gets going right off the bat with the funky, bluegrass-tinged romp "In the Perfect Groove," which sounds like an update of The Grateful Dead's acoustic music. The song begins with a banjo lick that continues throughout, adding great texture.
Land later manages to turn the lame chorus into a swaggering groove. Before you know it, you find yourself singing along to lame lyrics like "There's no need to be rushed along with the rush, pushed around by the push, crushed down by the crush."
The Grateful Dead influence continues through the next song, especially in the guitar playing. Halfway in, Land rips off an acoustic guitar solo Jerry Garcia would be proud of.
Then Land turns the chorus lyrics around yet again with dead-on delivery and roots-rock groove. This happens again and again on the album, since Land writes the kind of lyrics your parents would enjoy. I mean, "Hold me Celestine, hold me harvest queen"!? It sounds like something a menopausal, ex-hippie folk-singer would come up with. The Grateful Dead would definitely not be proud of lyrics like that.
Since Land has a good voice and an even better feel for the music, he gets away with it until "Golden Hearted Goddess." I first thought this was a religious tune, since he references "God's ocean" and starts the chorus off with, "I honor you for everything you are." Actually, this track is a folk-pop ode to Land's significant other, complete with a vacation picture next to the lyrics in the CD booklet. It's hard to forgive Land for cheese like this, no matter how much jam-band cred he has.
Luckily, Dragonfly has a classic menagerie of styles to offer. If you don't like one song, you'll probably like another. There's the Lyle Lovett-style of country groove-rock on tracks like "The Song That You Sing," helped along by the fact Land's voice sounds eerily similar to Lovett's. There's the Caribbean pop-rock of "Come Back Home," a la Jimmy Buffet. Maybe try the Latin groove of "Sugar's Sweet" and "Grace," or the bluegrass feel of "Roots," or even the syrupy balladry of "Heart With Wings" (bet you didn't see that one coming).
As you can see, there's something for everyone, since Dragonfly plays like an Americana/folk/pop/roots-rock sampler. But while Land may have done his homework, there's something missing. Dragonfly lacks the innovation and consistency to be a powerful album.
You'll have a chance to check it out for yourself, though, when Land opens for jam band New Monsoon at the Annex Oct. 11. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $8 in advance, $10 day-of-show. Based on the eight-minute jam tune "Willing," where Land shows off a bluesy, jazzy and funky soloing style, I suspect he'll be better live. Expect a good deal of Keller Williams-style jamming out because Land often uses a loop pedal to create a full-band effect. Some of the songs off Dragonfly have the potential to become great live tunes.
As a whole, Dragonfly has potential, but lacks a certain punch. Land can definitely play his instrument, and he has a good ear for backup musicians. The drums are played lightly enough that they blend in just right with his rhythmic acoustic strumming. Add some hand-drums and you have a perfect backdrop for instruments like violin, mandolin and banjo.
But just because you have the right ingredients doesn't mean you'll end up with a great product, as the average Dragonfly shows.
Grade: C
