In Glendale

Comedian Tim Heidecker’s first solo musical album In Glendale is a surprisingly wistful listen, continuing his act of keeping an audience guessing where the line between sincerity and parody is. On one hand songs like the title track, “Cleaning Up The Dog Shit” and “I Saw Nicholas Cage” start with a joke in either the title or opening lines, Heidecker’s smooth tenor backed by cleanly recorded bar band rock, swirling organs, occasional backing vocals. Real yacht rock/Steely Dan vibes. On the other hand the songs themselves — often portraits of people living out the boring terror or the terrifying boredom of living in or near Los Angeles — are tragicomic or just plain tragic. “Ghost In My Bed,” with its brief piano and stomping arrangement describing a nice guy who just murdered someone, “I Dare You To Watch Me Sleep” delving into the unspoken agreements married couples make, and the sorrowful “Ocean’s Too Cold” provide more cold shivers than gut busters. Might be the entire point.