Randy Newman’s ‘Dark Matter’ takes listeners all over the map
Randy Newman’s songwriting takes some remarkably ornate turns, even for him, on his 11th studio album, “Dark Matter.”
Take “Brothers.” President John Kennedy and his brother Bobby discuss Cuba in the Oval Office in 1961. The President’s idea for the Bay of Pigs invasion comes up, but he’s suddenly distracted by the thought of his favorite singer, Celia Cruz, and the tune ends in a bright homage to the Cuban salsa legend.
Not your typical pop song, but it’s not even the most outlandish construct on “Dark Matter.”
Its opening track, “The Great Debate,” places us inside a debate in North Carolina, where weighty topics are tossed about amid spoken interludes, a gospel chorus and a boatload of musical tempo changes. It unfolds like a self-contained eight-minute Broadway show, its humor and musical complexity making it a uniquely Newman creation.
“Putin,” introduced during last year’s election season, is another show-stopper. Newman’s look at the Russian president who now dominates the news — “He can power a nuclear reactor with the left side of his brain!” — successfully lands its barbed jabs, with delightful help from the female chorus, dubbed “the Putin Girls.”
Amid all the theatricality and wordplay, Newman also slips in several stunning ballads. “Sonny Boy” tells the sad-but-true tale of the “original” bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson, who saw his identity usurped by another performer using the exact same name, with great success.
“Lost Without You” describes how aging affects love with aching precision, and “She Chose Me” stands among the most simple, yet beautiful love ballads Newman has ever penned.
Following Newman’s sometimes perplexing music and lyrics on “Dark Matter” takes some work on the part of the listener, but it’s well worth the effort.