Twelve Angry Months

Local H

Shout! Factory, 2008

http://www.localh.com

REVIEW BY: Paul Hanson

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/26/2008

John Cusack played Layne Meyer in the 1985 dark comedy film Better Off Dead, which begins with Meyer’s girlfriend, Beth, breaking up with him and focuses on how the end of a relationship affects the male psyche. But with the release of Twelve Angry Months, Local H vocalist/guitarist Scott Lucas has proven himself to be the best male to examine a breakup. This album is a collection of twelve songs that go through the twelve months of a year, tracing various points of dealing with the end of the relationship. This is a phenomenal release -- a concept album that tells a single story throughout each of its songs. There is despair, relief, and joy throughout, each emotion experienced in various songs and exploring the way in which the end of the relationship affects Lucas.

Starting from the first track, we are introduced to the aftermath (although we miss the actual breakup.) Lucas begins by declaring softly, “Could you do me a favor / And fall off the earth?...And how do we divide a city / And the bars where we drank forever…Won’t let you gut our happy home.” As the music crescendos, drummer Brian St. Clair joins in for the band’s trademark rock sound. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

And with that poignant opener, we're off on a journey through twelve months of dealing, with each song serving to expand the storyline. On this album, Local H sound a lot like Nirvana, both in the manic riffs and St. Clair’s focus on delivering snare hits that rarely arrive on two and four.  On “In Michelle,” the simple chord progressions and the Cobain-style shouted vocals are particularly reminiscent of the legendary grunge rockers.

By March, Lucas has been introduced to his replacement in “BMW Man.” The song drips in disbelief as Lucas procaims, “So you’re the boyfriend / Nice to meet you, is it Dustin?...This crazy / I can’t believe that you replaced me.” Lucas continues by mocking his ex in "White Belt Boys" when he declares, "Yeah, I hope you have a lonely life." Meanwhile, he’s introspective in "The Summer Of Boats" when he sings with an acoustic guitar that "It’s all just so perfectly strange." Then St. Clair joins in as the song picks up intensity, and Lucas is joined by pianist John San Juan to add a different color to the song. By August, Lucas is really bitter. He concludes, "Jesus Christ! Did you see the size of that sperm whale?" with the cutting, spare line, "And to think I used to f*** you."

Lucas recaps the entire release in "Blur" when he says, "I only took you home on a dare," in an attempt to minimize the effect of this relationship on his life. But, of course, it doesn't work. The conclusion to Twelve Angry Months is "Hand to Mouth,” which finishes off on the lines, "You learn what really matters / You learn what really counts” as well as being accompanied by the notes that began track one. This is a subtle element, but I found it very powerful. It gives the illusion that even though the Twelve Angry Months are over, the pain goes on. Breakups suck, and Lucas captures that suckiness with honesty and intensity.

Rating: A

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© 2008 Paul Hanson and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Shout! Factory, and is used for informational purposes only.