Chuck Prophet's Kiddie Choir Ode to Stupidity

Our patience for singer-songwriters isn't exceptionally high. Most are too willing to live up to the navel-gazing coffeehouse stereotype-soothing and inoffensive to a fault. So we were a bit worried to see 43-year-old rock 'n' roll journeyman Chuck Prophet play a solo acoustic show at a downtown NYC bookstore last Friday. Would the one-time country-punk be able to translate his ragged tunes about fast women, easy drugs and shady love to the cappuccino set? Thankfully, Prophet didn't compromise, freely talking about some of the influences behind his songs ... like premature ejaculation and the depressing reality of moving back in with your parents in your thirties. With his upcoming LP, Soap and Water, Prophet is diversifying his sound more than ever before, tackling drum-machine pop and orchestral balladry along with his usual mix of blues, country and shaggy, Tom Petty-style rock. As always, his easygoing lyrics are conversational and effortless, like on "Let's Do Something Stupid," probably the only song in history about a knowingly irresponsible affair backed by an ecstatic children's choir. After a few minutes of regrets and what-ifs ("I always did the right thing, what did it get me?" sings Prophet), a group of kids and swarming strings help him out on the impulsive hook: "Let's do something wrong, let's do something stupid." So wrong; so right.