As you would probably
guess from the title, Loudon Wainwright III’s latest is about things like death
and getting older. In terms styles, in terms of the actual music, the album is predictably
all over the place. Wainwright is this old-time, old-fart (that’s totally
affectionate) singer-songwriter who is stuck so beautifully and comfortably in
his comfort zone: rootsy charm, redneck humour, piano ballads.
Of course, with no less
than 15 songs Older Than My Old Man Now
is, while not necessarily erratic, a mixed bag. However, there’s no question
that you’ll end up loving at least three or four of these songs. It’s a very
warm, cozy record, made even more so by the presence of his super-talented
kids: Lucy, Rufus and Martha are all here.
Unfortunately, every
time one of these songs sounds good to my ears, I end up wondering why can’t he
make a whole album like that. There’s “In C”, a beautiful, introspective piano
ballad with a simple but truly inspirational melody. There’s a strangely
McCartney-esque pop of “All In A Family”. A few others. But it’s all good, the
kind of no-great-shakes good would expect to get from Wainwright. I do actively
dislike songs like the opening “The Here And The Now” (annoying and pedestrian)
and particularly “I Remember Sex” (annoying and embarrassing), but they don’t
overshadow the rest of the album.
At just a little under
one hour, the album tires you a little, but does well to showcase different
facets of Wainwright’s personality and songwriting. Overall, a deeply
satisfying listen – however, I do find myself coming back to just those three
or four songs I ended up loving the best…
7/10
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