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Dead Somebody Joe Karr, alias Joking, has been described as "an accidental musician of the eeriest sort," and for an artist who defies description that's as good as any. The Annapolis resident who often sits in and opens for area artists ranging from the Jarflys to the Artful Dodgers, steps out of the shadows with his self-released debut, "Dead Somebody." With it, he makes his mark as Annapolis' resident beat auteur.
It's as if William Burroughs and Harry Connick, Jr. had a bastard child. Or if Tom Waits never smoked. Or Beck watched "All That Jazz" too many times. Regardless of label, Joking's curious cabaret noir style takes some time to get your arms around. But in an era of copycat bands, this debut reverberates with an adventurous tour through jazz, traditional pop, and abstract poetry, all while maintaining an approach that refuses to be pigeonholed.
The ghosts floating around "Dead Somebody" - old girlfriends, George Gershwin, lost friends, Leonard Cohen - pervade the record with an otherworldly sense that the production of Larry Melton tastefully accentuates. Also playing bass, Melton gives quiet, post-modern touches to the Tin Pan Alley styling of standouts "Kiss Me Now" and "The Day You Left" - a lovely rumination on lost love featuring S. Johnston. Annapolis' favorite drummer, Noel White, adds his distinctive chops as well, most prominently on the uber-spooky "Water." Another standout is the reggae-inflected "Superman Walks Again" - a reflective yet shimmering pop song that affirms man's ability to rebound from adversity.
Ethereal, textural, and wholly original, Joking's chill record for the recently broken-hearted may take some getting used to. But as the summer ends and the days grow shorter, putting your headphones on and diving into the moonlit waters of "Dead Somebody" will be well worth your while. It is available at Oceans II and Acousticopia in Annapolis and anywhere that Joking plays live, which is nearly everywhere. Dan
Website(s):
http://www.deadsomebody.com
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