Donwill: Don Cusack In High Fidelity

Posted On: February 10, 2010
Posted By: odeisel
Comments: 3

By Odeisel

Don Cusack in High Fidelity finds Donwill of Tanya Morgan delivering a concept album of love and loss fashioned as an audio remake to the 2000 movie High Fidelity which starred John Cusack. The album begins with a monologue of Donwill addressing the possible damage to people done by broken hearted love songs about failed relationships. “Laura’s Song” finds Donwill facing what happens when you hit that relationship wall and have to decide whether to remain at a plateau or push higher. From there, he recounts his top 5 breakups in chronological order, spitefully leaving Laura from the list, stating he was already numb to that heartbreak. “Top 5 Breakups” gives the run down on those relationships to a funky looped beat with that “Bobdobalina” feel to it. He eventually makes room for Laura on the list.

The Lessondary hops on for” Championship Vinyl” as Donwill equates a bourgeoning relationship with a love for music but the exact relationship is a bit murky. Hiero’s Opio drops by for “Ian’s Song” with Opio cast as foil Ian, a neighbor who snatches Laura from Don Cusack’s clutches.

“Shake It Easy” finds Peter Hadar crooning smoothly while Cusack waxes poetically over his lost love Laura. The soft melody is the perfect backdrop and the scratched in B.I.G. on the chorus is appropriate. He tries in vain to forget her memory but he can’t “Shake It Easy.” “Love Junkie” finds him in the arms of the rebound chick Marie De Salle, with Hadar returning for the hook over distortion and effervescent synths, forming an off-balance rhythm. Guest MC Harlem’s Cash does an able job of bouncing on the beat with Donwill.

In the midst of this, wayward Laura loses her dad and “December 27^th” finds Don to the rescue helping her deal with the tragedy over a plodding thump with ambient sounds and aerie ad-libs. The acoustic guitar of “Breathe” along with Nicky Guiland softly inhaling and exhaling on the chorus is feather light while Don pounds delivery heavy handedly, continuing his advice to Laura. It drags a bit despite Don’s delivery. Cusack begins to realize his role in the breakup, noting his inability to commit.

“I See You” finds him trying to get his act together. The song is lighter in feel and conveys the optimism of renewed love. Ragen Fykes is Jill Scottish on the hook which isn’t a bad thing. Don begins to realize that love doesn’t have to be exciting or boring; that good love isn’t a bad thing. That conversely leads into “Good” where Che Grand and Ced Hughes note that perhaps all good things must come to an end, focusing on how that “good” can be bad for you.

Cusack finally confronts Laura and notes that all of his dalliances with other women was transient and that those fantasies never delivered the reality that Laura managed and that as many of us find, is as good as it really gets. “Leading Lady” has Don Cusack asking her back in his life with a nicely woven analogy of her as his…leading lady. Laura accepts this role as costar.

Don Cusack In High Fidelity as a concept album is admirable in the attempt. Overall the narrative is direct and clean in relation to its source material. Donwill as a rapper is solid if unspectacular and the production is as well. A little deviation in bpm would have gone a long way towards pushing this record higher. As is, it’s a valiant attempt at refusing to be conventional. That kind of effort should always be saluted.

*Ed Note-version reviewed for this was unmastered. If there is a significant change in quality or end product, Planet Ill will revisit.

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