Adam Green

It wouldn't be that surprising if, in the storeroom of a strip-mall novelty shop somewhere, Beck, Har Mar Superstar, and Adam Green meet monthly to swap jokes and try out new gags. There, lacking the soul and rhythm of his contemporaries, Green would dwell in the land of the lewd and hope that shock value alone would eclipse his inability to pen clever innuendos. Beck and Har Mar would chuckle, which is the desired response that Gemstones, Green's latest full-length, seems to be fishing for. Having fully abandoned the lo-fi indie ethos we first found him pursuing as one-half of the Moldy Peaches, Green now sounds like he's Krusty the Clowning his way toward a career in Vegas. Gemstones is a lounge comedy record. It's 15 songs of cheap shots and wacky imagery, throughout which Green rarely exerts himself. When he does, the effect is not unlike a bloated, drug-reeking Jim Morrison. Despite all its flaws, however, Gemstones is funny. Really funny. Whether or not a little kitsch and slapstick is worth trudging through the schmaltz for, though, is up to you.