Simon Joyner drinks black coffee and smokes menthol cigarettes — or at least it sounds like he does.
A low-budget, dark and poetic aura looms over Joyner's music like gray skies over East Lansing winters. The singer/songwriter connects metaphors in raspy, whispered tones and strums a whimsical guitar.
He kind of sounds like a mix between Beck on the "Mellow Gold" album without the quirkiness and Leonard Cohen without being so epic. But hey, is anyone really like anybody else? Simon Joyner is Simon Joyner.
A collection of his singles and compilation tracks entitled "Beautiful Losers" was released March 7. The songs were recorded between 1994-99, when it was fashionable to record tracks without much production, and Joyner followed suit.
Remember all the ripped jeans, stringy hair, broken guitar strings and desolate lyrics in the mid '90s? Well, if you don't, Joyner's latest release is a good reminder.
In the liner notes, Joyner writes "As far as the little songs go, I'm glad they have a home together, even though I've split."
And it was not an easy task for Jagjaguwar Records to bring all of these songs back from the dead since they were originally released on obscure tapes and 7-inch vinyl compilations. Vinyl? Yep, that was how your parents originally rocked out to Bob Seger.
Anyhow, it becomes obvious after listening to the compilation album that Joyner wants to "split" from the tunes. The songs are rough, raw and not recorded in a very professional manner.
But there is beauty in the honesty that comes across. In today's world of overproduced baloney heard out of iPods across the globe, it's refreshing to hear a songwriter's voice coming through so clearly.
The last track on the CD, "One for the Catholic Girls," is also the catchiest. Joyner's mopey lyrics and thumping acoustic guitar are accompanied by a high-spirited pump organ played by Chris Deden.
The zestful pump organ seems to lift Joyner's demeanor to create a foot-tapping, knee-slapping sing-a-along — don't think Bee Gees happy, but as happy as the generally morbid Joyner can be. Many of the other tracks could turn a varsity cheerleader into a bum with a bad attitude.
But "One for the Catholic Girls" ends the album with hope for Joyner's musical future and outlook toward the world. He sings "If I was drunk, I didn't let on," letting the listener know that the past has been painful, but the future can be different.
Joyner's music is perfect for smoky coffee shops. He looks at his surrounding in a sinister style but does so with enough passion that anything else would seem fake coming from his curled lip.
