Windboy's Full Review: The Operating Theater by Brian Dewan
Brian Dewan is a complete mystery. He is the kind of artist I dream of being but don't have the guts to pull off: a true American original. He must share an office in some other universe with Garrison Keillor, Ray Bradbury and Thomas Edison.
I first saw him perform to a completely perplexed audience in Ann Arbor, Michigan when he opened for (friends and collaborators) They Might Be Giants in 1994. At that time he was supporting his first album "Brian Dewan Tells the Story" on Bar/None Records. He appeared alone onstage playing an amplified zither (a plucked stringed instrument slightly resembling both a steel guitar and a harpsichord) and then switched to autoharp for a number of tunes. He wore a shirt and tie and vaguely resembled former Conan O'Brien sideman Andy Richter. My friends and I, always looking for something new, were completely astounded.
Describing his music is very difficult. He often uses a simple folk-song structure and sing-song melodies. He employs strange instruments that you think might have just recently been rescued from a dusty antique shop. The songs are often odd fables or dark satires. At first listen, the lyrics come off very simple and deliberate, as if he were speaking to a child. Below the surface, however, there is great untold depth in his subjects. Songs like "First Day of School" and "Flexible Flyer" are sung with the convincing earnestness of a first-grader but with the adult knowledge of a first-grade teacher. The song "Cadavers" isn't sung with menace or fright, but merely a detached sort of curiosity. The music seems old-fashioned, but not in way you can really put your finger on. There is an eerie feeling that this music was just forgotten somewhere and mysteriously found its way onto this disc.
You may have noticed that all of the names I've dropped in comparison to Dewan are from other fields of art. It's true, I've never been able to think of any other musician that he even slightly resembles. He has the wistful, comedic oddness of director Wes Anderson. He has the nostalgic warmth of author Ray Bradbury. He can paint a song like Norman Rockwell. Perhaps musically I could liken him to a sort of Randy Newman without the sarcasm.
I should also mention that Brian Dewan is an inventor of instruments, a superb woodworker, an artistic director and builder of sets. Some of his credits include, David Byrne's "Uh-oh" album cover, the monuments featured on They Might Be Giants' "Lincoln" album cover and of course the entire wooden city featured on the cover of this release.
Is there a place in popular music for someone like Brian Dewan? I hope to God there is! There must be other pockets of cult fans like myself that appreciate anyone doing something unusual. That being said, the real fans often have to be of a pretty fanatical caliber to support unusual artists like Dewan. I had to pre-order my copy of "Operating Theater" from a local store because I knew none of them were going to carry it. Indeed, the record store clerk had never heard of Dewan and I don't think the extra copy I made them order has left the shelf yet.
Still, an act like this should be able to build himself a fan base. He just has to do it the old-fashioned way... one at a time.
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