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Pernice BrothersDiscover A Lovelier You Ashmont/Spunk!/Inertia Joe Pernice writes-nay, he crafts - perfect three-minute pop songs to the degree that I wonder if he ever studied engineering. His songs are minor marvels of structure and economy, every lyric carefully laid, every twangy, delayed guitar note meticulously planned and interwoven, every sound polished and then polished again. All this would be merely academic were it not for the Pernice Brothers' trump: their penchant for cloaking sad, evocative snapshots of life, love and relationships in the most gorgeous of melodies. Like its predecessors, 'Discover A Lovelier You' glistens and shimmers like the first day of summer, but its heart can often be as dark and miserable as the middle of winter. It's lovely, lovely music, but it sure ain't disposable. Another really appealing thing about the Pernice Brothers is that the melodies aren't always immediately apparent; it takes a while to 'get' their albums, but once you do, it's well worth the effort. That strength, however, can also be a weakness; the songs are so polished that eventually one tends to blur into another. After weeks of living with this record, I can still only put names to just half of its melodies (of course, now it's impossible to get them out of my head). If you want to try before you buy, Saddest Quo, Snow, Say Goodnight To The Lady, Amazing Glow and Red Desert are absolute standouts, and they'll tell you everything you need to know about 'Discover A Lovelier You'. Everything else on there is craft - but oh, what craft.  |
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