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WXPN's Free At Noon: Mike Doughty

Presented by WXPN at World Cafe Live - Philadelphia

October 30, 2009

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Early last year, Mike Doughty released Golden Delicious, which meshed his solo career with some of the beats of his Soul Coughing days. Coming back now with Sad Man Happy Man, Doughty goes back to basics and makes his most stripped down record in years. Hearkening back to his first solo album; the self-released Skittish; much of Sad Man Happy Man focuses on Doughty's voice and acoustic guitar, with some bass and cello flourishes. However, it is far more than just another acoustic, singer-songwriter record.

Opening with "Nectarine (Part Two)," a sequel to "Nectarine (Part One)" from Golden Delicious, Doughy sets the tone for Sad Man Happy Man, keeping his distinctive voice and guitar style front and center. "Pleasure On Credit" is closest Doughty gets to his classic Soul Coughing free-form 'slacker jazz' rap-style (with the great couplet "John Paul Jones/bustle in the hedges"). The "happy man" part of the equation is represented by songs like "(I Keep On) Rising Up" and the raucous "Lord Lord Help Me Just To Rock Rock On."

In the end, this new album is Mike Doughty doing what he does best - catchy songs with repetitive choruses and off-kilter wordplay that bore into your brain.

Be sure to catch Mike this Friday at Noon.