Review of Mike Doughty’s HAUGHTY MELODIC
Ever since I first heard Super Bon Bon while flipping channels one night and landing on Reverb, I’ve been a major fan of Soul Coughing and its front man, Mike (M) Doughty.
Since the band broke up, Mike has left the drving beats, basslines and samples and went DIY. His small rock tour featured him and a very cheep guitar.
One CD leak to Napster (a disc that his label had decided not to release) huge sales of said CD from his website, lead ATO to pick him up for his first major lable solo release.
Here is my track by track:
1. Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well Loved the demo that Mike had on his site of just guitar and corny sounding drum machine while singing of lost love. So I wondered how this would sound fleshed out? Frigging great… Wonderful start to the disc.
2. Unsingable Name First new track of the disc. I like the use of the duclermer sound and the strings
3. Madeline and Nine Another song that had been around in a just guitar form. Just as with Botton of the Well, the fleshed out sound with the band and back vox really takes the song into the rare air of the sing along.
4. Busting Up A Starbucks Wasn’t a big fan of either version of this tune but I like HM’s version just a tad more since it does tread abit towards SC teritory.
5. White Lexus Just never felt this one. Don’t ask me why.
6. American Car I love this song for the first few lines alone. Unlike the version I frist heard, this version features a country feel thanks to a slide guitar
7. Tremendous Brunettes Dave Matthews does guest vox but still I don’t feel this one. It’s all most like a drinking song for drunk frat boys.
8. I Hear The Bells If TB is the worst song, the Bells is the best. I’ve never been to New York, let alone in December, but I feel like I have when I listen to this song.
9. Sunken-Eyed Girl Fastest paced song on the disc. Pretty good story tune.
10. Grey Ghost Hated the small rock version but HM’s has an almost gospel feel to it. Needless to say, it’s grown on me. Plus you can’t hate a song that has Menphis in the lyrics.
11. His Truth Is Marching On This is my second fav song on the disc. It’s almost a prayer.
12. Your Misfortune A great song to close out the disc with. A song of hope and reaching out to someone be it a friend, lover, whatever.
