When October 31st begins to rear its unruly head, the usual influx of Halloween-themed novelty records follows suit. Does it get any better than something from a Charlie Brown special? Generally speaking, no. But this year, we may just have an exception to the rule. Dead Man's Bones is the unconventional love-child of indie film heartthrob, Ryan Gosling, and Zach Shields. With those genes, this must be one flawless baby, right? Wrong! They take a recipe that would make any other group crash and burn, throw it into a bag, shake it, and stick it in the oven. Three takes for each track; add additional instruments you've never laid hands on before, one whole children's choir, a handful of cheap sound effects, and two minds utterly obsessed with zombies, graveyards, and ghouls. What we end up with is a strange and unique record, with all of those homey recorded-in-a-shed type qualities.
After a short spoken-word introduction, we arrive at “Dead Hearts,” which eases us in nicely. It's a little overemotional, but with a hint of darkened Architecture in Helsinki charm. Do not be scared off by its grave introduction though; the monster mash begins with “In The Room Where You Sleep,” and doesn't let up until the very end.
From the very beginning, Gosling and Shields knew they wanted to work with kids, so they enrolled the Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir. Just the thought of a children's choir may be off-putting to most, but when it works, it really works. “My Body's a Zombie for You” is really punched-up by the choir. Gosling's croon is surprisingly dynamic, coupled with the kids chanting and epic “woahhh-ohhhss.” It's catchy as all hell; you can't help but join in. “Young & Tragic” gives the kids their shot at being the centerpiece. Alone, it's a little creepy (especially in the middle), but the hand-clapping and MGMT “Kids”-esque moments more than make up for it. Overall, the kids were an interesting addition to the record; occasionally they fall flat, but for the most part they shine.
The keyboard singalong “Pa Pa Power” doesn't really seem to fit the record's eerie concept, but it does provide some ballast. This song alone could make its way onto any new indie release, no questions asked. It seems Arcade Fire might need to take up acting in order to keep up, although I doubt it will go over quite as smoothly. Also, doo-wop classic “Paper Ships” seems to stick out from the rest as less creepy, although, lyrically, it's no walk in the park. It displays another side of Gosling, a more apathetic, raspy sound, very Alden Penner-esque. The diversity in his voice is really surprising for someone whose previous vocal credentials go about as far as the Mickey Mouse Club.
For the most part, Dead Man's Bones' scare factor is equivalent to that of a low budget 80's horror flick, but a few tracks make an exception. For example, the exceedingly dark “Buried in Water,” only becomes more disturbing with time. The children sadly intone such lovely verses as “Like a lamb to its slaughter, buried in water,” as Gosling drearily fades in and out. It may be one of the simplest songs, but that doesn't make it any less haunting. The same could be said for “Loose Your Soul,” whose hand-clap percussion does not distract from Gosling's morbid vocals. The kids add their eerie sentiments as well. Without a doubt, these tracks are much darker than something you'd get off of a Halloween novelty.
For something that should have gone so horribly wrong, I know I'm not alone when I say Dead Man's Bones is a magnificent surprise. The perfect way to wrap this up is by quoting its original title, “Never let a lack of talent get you down.”
Track List:
1. Intro (0:50)
2. Dead Hearts (5:14)
3. In The Room Where You Sleep (3:57)
4. Buried in Water (5:17)
5. My Body's a Zombie for You (4:32)
6. Pa Pa Power (4:05)
7. Young & Tragic (3:51)
8. Paper Ships (2:53)
9. Loose Your Soul (4:35)
10. Werewolf Heart (3:26)
11. Dead Man's Bones (3:00)
12. Flowers Grow Out of My Grave (2:39)
