In Socks Mode

Although the fact that the Visible Men are comprised of two former members of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies is unlikely to attract much positive attention, pianist/vocalist Dustin Lanker and bassist Dan Schmid take a clear step away from the retro-swing of their past with In Socks Mode. A full-on excursion into classy piano pop in the Ben Folds Five mold, Lanker is a wonderfully accomplished pianist, turning out a truly likeable set of durable melodies and elaborate arrangements that encompasses all of the alternating playfulness and pensiveness needed to ensure that the mood of the set doesn't grow stale. But where the true difference between the artistry of the two songwriters is evident is in their lyrical subject matter, as Lanker sits on the opposite end of the spectrum from Folds' angst-ridden and defiant songwriting persona. In fact, Lanker seems to be positively defeated in his ruminations on rejection and personal shortcomings, a fact which grows increasingly grating as the disc unfolds. Although the sheer attractiveness of his melodies will win over most detractors, Lanker occasionally falls into a lack of cleverness, instead relying on rather blunt (and not particularly funny) scatological and masturbation references. In short, the Visible Men may have a harder time crawling out from under the inevitable Ben Folds Five comparisons than they will in distancing themselves from their former band, but the considerable musical triumphs of In Socks Mode bodes well for when Lanker moves past his self-pity and branches out into more fertile songwriting ground.