James Combs, “Nice Dream If You Can Get It” (Disingenuous Records, 2004)

Chances are you’ve never heard of James Combs, but you have heard his music. His tracks have appeared in TV shows such as “Six Feet Under,” “ Entourage,” “Dexter,” “Gossip Girls,” and “True Blood,” as well as the documentary "American Teen.” Combs has a solid reputation among fellow musicians and in the industry because of his diverse appeal. Fans of The New Pornographers will discover, in Combs, a hidden gem in the folk-pop arena. Likewise, devotees of 4AD artists like Lush and Throwing Muses will find themselves musically satiated. His 2004 release, “Nice Dream If You Can Get It” is the perfect example of what Combs does best.

The opening track, “Okay, It’s Sunday,” begins with a riff that is highly suggestive of Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” and, indeed, Combs’ characters bear an equally strong resemblance to the Velvet’s broken Bohemians. Despite the train-wreck “Sex, drugs and rock-and-roll” lifestyle, or even because of it, these characters possess a shambling, haggard beauty that Combs clearly has a soft spot for. There is a gentle lassitude in these musical portraits of lost souls. “Low Go Getter” paints this picture even more clearly, a psychedelia-dusted song about two people so entrenched in just being cool, that all they can do is look at the stars.

Combs turns his laser-like powers of observation on himself in “Lazy Son.” A repetitive, needling guitar sounds like a nagging voice of self-deprecation, while the refrain “I still love you now” provides the counter-point in a battle for self-acceptance. Combs’ facility for taking the ugly or awkward and wrapping it in beauty is preternatural. With lyrics such as “ She’s got you on the chair/And her hair falls around your legs/She’s got you on the chair/What a shy, shy boy you make,” “Soft As Vapor” would seem to be the most ethereal song about fellatio ever written.

While the themes in “Nice Dreams” are dark and adult, the lush arrangements create an arresting dissonance. Combs takes a variety of musical approaches in his depiction of the quest for the hipster impossible dream. There are ebullient cabaret-like dance numbers, acoustic folk numbers, as well as psychedelic-synth melodies. Combs rough falsetto, which has earned him numerous comparisons to Elliott Smith, gives even the most caustic story a dreamy quality. His voice is like a raw nerve wrapped in angora. Combs is also very adept at choosing collaborators, like Bryony Atkinson of Merrick, who complement his distinctive vocals flawlessly.

In addition to his solo work Combs has three side projects, including the Honneycombs with his sister April Combs Mann. The Honneycombs music recently appeared on an episode of the TV show “Men of a Certain Age.” James Combs is possibly the hardest working, most successful rocker you’ve never heard of. If you like to be in on the best kept secrets, check him out..