Dolorean You Can't Win by: Helen Stasa Mon:17-Sep-07 Label: Yep Roc Year: 2007 WB rating 63 out of 100

The strength of the indie music scene in Portland is both fascinating and bemusing. Although only a medium sized city, artists and bands such as Elliott Smith, Grandaddy, The Shins, and The Decemberists have all lived and worked there. Whether this excess of musical talent in the Pacific North West is the result of the inclement climate or some mysterious ingredient being added to the water, it is undeniable that there is a lot of great music coming out of Oregon.

You Can’t Win (2007) is the fourth album from Portland five piece Dolorean, and their third album on the Yep Roc label, following on from 2003’s Not Exotic and Violence In The Snowy Fields (2004). Like fellow Oregon native Smith, Dolorean tend to focus on the dark and melancholy aspects of life, and You Can’t Win is certainly not an uplifting release. Rather, the overriding atmosphere is one of gloomy depression, of chances missed, and love gone wrong.

This can be clearly heard on the title track, which opens the album. The song begins with a distorted percussive sound droning in the background, before drums, organ, bass and cymbals are added to the mix. The use of the organ in particular, and the gentle vocals repeating the single line “you can’t win”, creates a hypnotic, almost hymn-like effect. It is somewhat surprising that Dolorean selected ‘You Can’t Win’ as the opening track, as it would seem preferable to begin the record with something slightly less mournful.

The second track, ‘We Winter Wrens’, is probably the strongest song on the disc, and one which demonstrates the talents of vocalist/songwriter Al James. Beginning with a beautiful piano introduction, James’ soft, plaintive voice sings of how “we winter wrens/ have made amends/ with the silence and the cold.” Dolorean have obviously been strongly influenced by R.E.M., this track echoing ‘Everybody Hurts’. The comparison with R.E.M. is made even more distinct by the similarities between James’ and Michael Stipe’s vocal styles, with both tending to favour a quiet, stripped back and unadorned delivery.

Another of the better tracks on the album is ‘In Love With The Doubt’, which despite its gloomy title is actually one of the more upbeat songs on the album. Lyrically strong, lines such as “how could you spend the night with the shadow/when I am the sun” and “all your affection for the hymn book/ when I am the choir,” catch the ear, as does the memorable chorus. 

One of the strengths of You Can’t Win is the way in which Dolorean manage to combine diverse musical styles. Forgetting the REM influences ‘Heather, Remind Me How This Ends’ and ‘What One Bottle Can Do’ have a country feel, best exemplified in the lyrics of the latter which focus on the genre’s tradition of losing lovers by drinking too much. The effect is further reinforced by the country style acoustic guitar, which brings to mind the work of Neil Young’s Harvest record. In contrast, ‘Beachcomber Blues’ and ‘Buffalo Gal’ feature plucked guitar introductions, which create an almost flamenco effect. On ‘Buffalo Gal’, James sings of keeping his love “Away from the rest/of those looks that you get”, the line echoing the sentiments expressed on Elliott Smith’s ‘Between the Bars’ (Either/Or, 1993): “separate from the rest/ where I like you the best.”

For those who like their music miserable, and who enjoy listening to R.E.M., You Can’t Win is definitely worth a listen. However, the omnipresent melancholy does become a bit tiresome after a while. Sure, things may be bad, but releasing a record of eleven melancholy tracks filled with grim musings does not seem to be a good recipe for success.