Armed with a fresh batch of tropical tales,
August Darnell (aka
Kid Creole) leads his band of eccentric vagabonds in another episode of the continuing saga of Mimi. Of course, it's not necessary to read the esoteric liner notes, nor is a knowledge of previous chapters required to enjoy the installment entitled
Doppelganger. As usual, the only prerequisite is an acquired taste for the bizarre, often comical travelogues set to exotic pop which represent the essence of
Kid Creole & the Coconuts.
Darnell's infatuation with international environments results in a soundtrack characterized by ubiquitous percussion and spirited brass and woodwinds, although electric guitar also figures prominently in several songs. Much like
Paul Simon's efforts on
Graceland,
Darnell incorporates world music elements to add a foreign flavor to pop postcards like "It's a Wonderful Life" and "There's Something Wrong in Paradise." Yet
Darnell is rarely as serious as
Simon, and only
Graceland's lighthearted "You Can Call Me Al" could blend inconspicuously with the material on
Doppelganger. A Caribbean-styled remake of
Jimmy Soul's "If You Wanna Be Happy" is indicative of the album's affable nature. The song's obsession with appearances also reveals the thematic influence behind previous
Kid Creole favorites such as "Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" and "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby," both of which appear on their most popular album, Wise Guy. Nothing on
Doppelganger can compare to those two British hits, yet nothing will fail to satisfy devoted fans either. For the uninitiated,
Doppelganger's peculiar content presents a love-it or hate-it dilemma, but captivated listeners will probably enjoy discovering the rest of
Kid Creole & the Coconuts' enchanting oeuvre. ~ Vince Ripol