The Last Laugh

by Andrew Leahey Although a folk album at heart, The Last Laugh is scarcely recognizable as a product of any one genre, owing as much to baroque pop and pastoral psychedelia as the folk music that provides its foundation. Singer/songwriter Helena Costas is a modern-day troubadour, a student of Arthurian legend one moment and an indie temptress the next, playing each role for several scenes before flitting off to the wings to change. Had The Last Laugh been her own project, these unusual tales of goblins, jousting knights, and tasty jellybeans might seem too fanciful for their own good. Joker's Daughter takes strength in collaboration, however, as Costas' delicate folk songs are supported by production from Danger Mouse, string arrangements from Italian composer (and Gnarls Barkley associate) Daniele Luppi, and occasional horn toots from Neutral Milk Hotel's Scott Spillane. It's an unexpected combination, perhaps, but the synthesis works quite well, creating a sort of psych-folk oddity that alternately recalls Donovan, Suzanne Vega, Renaissance-era madrigals, and '60s Italian cinema. Danger Mouse claims co-writing credits on every song, and his musical contributions are tastefully understated: a rhythmic pulse here, a softly buzzing synthesizer there, but never anything resembling the neo-soul or club-worthy material of his past projects. Forays into medieval trip-hop ("The Last Laugh") and reggae-influenced indie pop ("Jelly Bean") stretch the boundaries of the album's bedrock, but it's fun to see folk music take such unexpected turns, especially when the destination sounds this enchanting.