David Matysiak and Mason Brown, formerly of Jet By Day, have created Coyote Bones to perhaps move with the times and shake off their previous moniker and all that came with it. As it happens, Gentleman on the Rocks is all over the place in a way that many contemporary indie rock fans will appreciate. It has glimmers of Annuals' twinkling, close-at-ear guitars, the sashays of Matt Pond, and the jerking, yet peaceful rhythmic patterns of the Junior Boys. The transitions to and from such disparate sounds can be wonderful: The interlude-like wanderings of "Lightweight Drinking" meld into the emo throwback "Grand Eclipse" by way of organ synths and a simple, forlorn yet sexy guitar line that repeats throughout the song. The whole of "Eclipse" is glossed with an ornately electronic atmosphere, making it one of the most engrossing tracks on the album.
But there are also less successful tracks like "Arlington Curse", a friendly, thumping anthem with a dull melody and too much yelping. The harmonies can be (intentionally?) sloppy, making for an intoxicated, dizzy experience that works for the Hold Steady and some emo aficionados. But Coyote Bones are neither of these-- these days: the pair, with contributions from Orenda Fink of Azure Ray, Dan McCarthy (Tilly and the Wall, Bright Eyes), Jacob Thiele of the Faint, and a handful more, are flitting between popular acoustic and electronic tropes, only occasionally hitting the mark. "Don't Lose Your Cool" is an example of when rabid harmonic reaches actually work, sounding purposefully strained and emotive rather than messy and unrehearsed; but that is only a moment of pleasure in an otherwise transitional song. Effects tricks, keys, and drum machines are at pretty much every band's disposal, but it doesn't always feel natural. "Fated to Fail" is a blogger's favorite, and the delicate pulsation of beat plus keyboard and fluttering female vocals makes for a lovely three minutes: still anthemic, a bit depressing, and possessing a clarity of sound that perfects the message, a mournful second-person narrative about being true to...your previous band, from the sound of it.
The undulating guitars and washes of synth effects on "Fated to Fail" and a couple of other tracks are concrete reminders of Jet By Day, and sit squarely between the purely pop and occasionally grungy pieces that permeate the rest of the album. "Your War" makes for an irritating finish: It's an attempt at a dirty rock song that is neatly packaged and well composed on its own, but makes little sense as a tack-on to an otherwise elegant and/or peaceable batch. Acoustic number "Paint on Your Jeans" is aurally gorgeous but lacks originality of melody or sophistication of idea. "39 Forever", however, turns that statement around, being rudimentary with its instruments, but prodding a simple verse at a wildly surprising and strong chorus, which builds strength in numbers and keeps evolving. It's easily the best song on the album, a great wallop of power pop that, once again, makes a pretty transition to the sole piano showcase, "Buzzing Below". The band can't be applauded for enacting every musical idea that they do, because not all of them work, but those few good cases bolster the rest, which are, at the very least, engineered and executed well.
