One of the better shows i’ve seen in my life was Silver Jews at Maxwell’s. Not only was it at Maxwell’s, which is the SHIT, but damn David Berman was on top of his game. The show was alive with so much energy and emotion that it was almost suffocating. In a good way. For an idea, see THIS.

“People” is a really good example of a Silver Jews song. It features the funny and quirky lyrics of Berman, overtly loud bass plucking and jumpy drums and guitar strums. Berman has a voice like a caramel with nuts. Does that make sense?

Check my NYPress review of the Maxwell’s show here. In it Isay this about Berman’s voice:

Berman’s voice, if you can imagine for a moment, sounds something like a mix between a stern lecture from a respected professor and a bedtime story told by a beloved uncle. In other words, it’s both pleasant and jarring. Oratorical and operatic. He talks rather than sings a lot of the time, though the sounds he emits are melodic. Only his deep, baritone voice can deliver lyrics like, “In 1984 I was hospitalized for approaching perfection.”

I guess that is what I mean by “caramel with nuts.”

Silver Jews: “People”

click the above link.

Silver Jews: “People”