Thursday, November 25, 2010

Infant Sorrow

This may be the most egregious musical guilty pleasure I've ever admitted, but we'll go with it.  Straight up:  I'm mildly obsessed with the fictional band "Infant Sorrow."  How could this happen, you ask?  Basically, Russell Brand plays the character "Aldous Snow" first in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and then more prominently in Get Him To The Greek.  In the latter of the two Judd Apatow productions, Snow plays a washed-up English rocker with the usual set of drug and alcohol issues.  The movie is so-so, and nowhere near as funny as it was billed.  The 16-track album Infant Sorrow released to coincide with the movie however, shows a faint shimmer of additional promise.  My favorite tracks, in semi-Top-5 order:

  1. Going Up: I actually wish there was a "live" version of this song from the movie, because I think the more dramatic introduction worked well for the song.  Regardless, this is a high-energy, windows-down, thank-God-the-sun-is-shining rocker.  If you don't believe me, listen to the first minute.
  2. Little Bird:  "Little bird, you have got to be eighteen, or a few years past your teens; or you are in my eyes..."  I would find this really offensive, but the next verse is "Little bird, if you were born 'fore '92..." which I think is really funny.  As my parents used to say: "That's not funny, that's sick."  Probably true.
  3. Furry Walls:  I think I'm most amused by the memory of the closing scene from "Get Him to the Greek," which featured Infant Sorrow playing this song live.  The song doesn't make much sense (out of the context of the movie), but it is still catchy and offensive.
  4. Bangers, Beans and Mash:  The first time I heard this song, I hated it because the lyrics are so idiotic.  But the songwriting grew on me as I heard it, until it actually became my favorite song on the album.  The song is mediocre until 1:38, where it really steps it up all the way to the end.  Hat's off Infant Sorrow:  you guys managed to write a real song; now if it was only about something other than traditional English fare.
In other news, this post is extraordinarily delayed.  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who reads these posts.  I hope you're all with friends and family, enjoying all the trimmings.
    Warmest (aural) regards,
    -JB

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