Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

“No I really don’t want to die/I only want to die in your eyes.”
“How To Rent A Room”
David Berman wrote those words a little more than a decade ago, and I was one of those that considered Berman’s most depressive period to be his best creatively. There was a certain amount of guilt with that, given the circumstances, as you never want someone to actually harm themselves just for the sake of your own record collection.
Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea is one of those “happy” David Berman albums, and one that I disliked the first time I heard it. But after seeing them live, I got a different perspective. The songs came off a lot less polished than on record and I could actually see Berman’s happiness. The interaction with other band members, the obvious love of his wife, and the energy that he fed off of from the audience.
A live setting and the sterile confines of the studio are two polar opposite locales. And if Lookout Mountain suffers from anything, it is the sterility. The sense of playfulness is occasionally lost and there are times when the lighthearted nature of the recording overshadows any hint of Berman’s wordy humor.
What a shame, as there are more than a few tracks that are slyly hilarious and one cut, “San Francisco B.C.,” which is one of the best songs Berman has ever written.
In it, David creates a tale of criminal activity, infidelity, and mystery. It’s plot is as exciting as any screenplay and you’re glued to the proceedings like any good movie.
Unfortunately, it’s not good enough to place Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea alongside such greats as American Water or The Natural Bridge. It is, however, good enough for me to consider Berman’s bright side and not get sad when he’s feeling so good.