We're All In This Alone gives us yet another look at the Mendoza Line's engagingly sloppy beauty. If anything, they've grown a little less self-conscious, wisely embracing their tendency for off-key vocals and eccentric melodies as part of their obvious charm. Mediocrity and outright failure, you might recall, are part of their formula.
The vocals in particular pander appealingly to indie rock tastes, offering a tasty array of unaffected male and female voices. It's not until track four -- "Baby, I Know What You're Thinking" for those of you following along in the CD booklet -- that we hear a singer who clearly knew in advance that he was going to be recorded. Not that there's anything wrong with "Sasha Goes Too Far/It Could Be the Nights" or "Idiot Heart", which precede it. On those songs, the vocals aren't on key, but they're always near-key, resulting in an open and unaffected listening experience that enhances the lyrics' palatable sentimentality. But make no mistake -- when the Mendoza Line want to dish up gorgeous layered vocals, they're up to the challenge. When a little more vocal accuracy is needed, they're ready with the goods.
The Mendoza Line like a lot of jangle in their jangle-pop. Even the most understated song packs a hummable hook. Some, like the appealingly countrified "Williamsburg", add strings and country twang to their acoustic jangle, while others -- most notably "You Singled Me Out" -- go heavy on the vocal harmonies. Keyboard drone and piano plink add their own magic, enhancing "I Hope that You Remember to Forget" and deepening the moodiness of "Sasha Goes Too Far/It Could Be the Nights", while a bristling blur of guitar feedback gives "Yoko's in the Band" that quintessential indie-rock aura. "Where You'll Land," one of the disc's most downbeat tracks, even drags out the horns for its big finish.
Despite moments of lyrical solemnity and a penchant for tales of lost love and missed connections, We're All In This Alone will leave you feeling good. It's clear that the band isn't as glum and failure-obsessed as their words occasionally suggest -- listening to this album makes me feel good, so I can't imagine that actually playing the songs would help sustain a moody funk. With summer beginning, We're All In This Alone is essential listening -- a set of painstakingly-crafted anthems to laziness. Don't be surprised when it grabs you by the heart and drags you into the nearest hammock.
