Goodbye, Cagoule World

A true maestro of melancholy, Benjamin Shaw translates the scruffy pathos of his native Blackpool, England, into songs of downbeat eloquence. His sophomore album, Goodbye, Cagoule World, doesn’t paint false smiles on the gloomy faces and ragged scenes that parade through his songs. Working with a dark-tinted sonic palette, Shaw offers moody vignettes that veer between adolescent whimsy and adult cynicism. Shaw’s half-choked vocals are complemented by skeletal acoustic strums, weeping pedal steel guitar, and staggering drum lines. Tracks like “Magneto Was Right,” “Always with the Drama," and the title tune are closely observed snapshots of everyday gloom and frustration, snatched from the edge of utter despair by their sardonic humor. Whether he’s embracing unwholesome love (“No One”), looking for a partner in ennui (“Break the Kettles and Sink the Boats”), or considering the state of British society (“You & Me”), his lyrics are ruefully wise and unsparing. Goodbye, Cagoule World's music is equally distinctive, a mélange of fractured pop melodies, low-fi electronica noise, and found-sound snippets that’s both infectious and unnerving.