Actor/musician releases surprisingly good album

By Joey Vergara

Published April 10, 2007

Actor/musicians rarely leave a mark, let alone a positive one, on music. Jared Leto's "band" has been leaving nothing but skid marks for the past few years, and acts led by celebrities such as Kevin Costner and Keanu Reeves receive little more than raised eyebrows.

Although not nearly as well known as some other actors, Jason Schwartzman might just offer the exception to the current trend. Going by the moniker Coconut Records, the "Rushmore" graduate and former Phantom Planet drummer's debut album Nighttiming is an unexpected collection of pop greatness.

Although it might be a little unfair to Schwartzman, it's simply impossible not to link Nighttiming's "West Coast" to his old band's overplayed O.C. anthem "California." Both are rallying calls to return to the land where dreams come true and the sunny weather never ends. But though the latter features desperate vocals and bright instrumentation, Schwartzman's song takes a fuzzier, less straightforward approach, resulting in a personal lament about longing for a loved one.

Schwartzman hasn't exactly found his personal sound with Nighttiming, but that only serves to his benefit. Each track reveals surprise after surprise. Moving from the perfect, melody-drenched pop of "West Coast," you later find yourself stuck in a '70s discotheque with the title track. It's one of the weaker tracks on Nighttiming, but the synth swirls and echoey vocals inevitably bring you to the dance floor. Albums like this can result in a terribly unorganized one, but Schwartzman makes it work.

Another of the album's greatest assets lies in its mostly lo-fi production. Every hook captures the listener's ear better than the last, and each experimentation in style sounds completely honest and unforced. "Mama," a twangy, slide-guitar driven folk track, even begins with the sounds of a tape deck being loaded.

Coconut Records clearly wears its influences on its sleeve while remaining entirely original. "Easy Girl" and "Minding My Own Business" follow in The Beatles' tradition while "Back to You" channels Weezer at its poppiest.

More gentle, bare songs such as "Slowly" and opener "This Old Machine" anchor the amalgamation of songs through their sheer simplicity.

The good old Schwartzman charm and wit aren't lost on Coconut Records either. An applause track erupts during the final chorus of "Back to You," a move that would be labeled the cheesiest gimmick in the history of music if it weren't for Schwartzman's tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.

The traditional rock song gets even better as it transitions into an outro featuring Schwartzman on ukulele.

With Nighttiming as proof of his musical abilities and as good as "I Heart Huckabees" was, it's good to know Schwartzman didn't entirely give up on music in favor of acting. Besides, who knew the dude could sing so well?