It’s hard not to agree with the positions espoused in the lyrics of HIGHER ground by Charlie King and Karen Brandow with Tex LaMountain. This is a crew full of snarky commentary about the political and cultural morass of America under King George W. It’s plainspoken and often funny.
But the overall effect of this CD is, well, strange. Strange as in A Mighty Wind. Its earnestness is on the one hand admirable and on the other syrupy sweet. "Who’s Gonna Bail Out Scooter" begins with overlapping chanting of that phrase, then gives way to more of that sort of wry talk that seems to be King’s lingua franca. It’s kind of like being a kid listening to the parents’ humor and feeling more uncomfortable than amused at seeing the adults let it all hang out.
Still. How can you fault people who are singing about the truly important things currently transforming our democracy to a new American fascism, even if they sometimes do it with weird voices?
I may not feel drawn to be a front-row fan, but King, Brandow and LaMountain are trying to do good things in a clearly personal and distinctive fashion. And that can’t be bad. Even if it sounds kind of like the Smothers Brothers having a hoedown with Pete Seeger and Red Skelton at the Union march.
