Silver Jews

Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

[4/5]

If alt-country were truly alternative, it might sound more like Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea, especially on “What Is Not But Could Be If,” where Silver Jews leader David Berman’s booming vocals run as deep as anything this side of Johnny Cash or Leonard Cohen in their prime. That voice was born to work the darkness of a ballad like “My Pillow Is The Threshold,” with its ominous spaghetti Western vibe. But there’s a playful side to Berman, too-that classic moment in “Strange Victory, Strange Defeat,” for instance, when he wonders, “What’s with all these handsome grandsons in these rock-band magazines” while squirrels plot rebellion in a “nightmare world of craven mediocrity.” Berman signs off with the tender country romance of “We Could Be Looking For The Same Thing,” backed by Cassie Berman’s honey-dripping harmonies, and he’s never sounded better. (DRAG CITY) Ed Masley