Those of you used to Wyman/Ayan production polish will have to get used to the crackle, hiss, and buzz here, but it's well worth it. These are two-, three-, and four-minute novellas backed by hyper-charged acoustic strumming and sung in ranges from a deep and gravelly bass to a soaring tenor. Hughes pairs the two on “The River Last Night,” accompanying himself in an emotionally naked chorus: “I’d like to make enough money to travel with you/Is there a chance that we’ll ever live in the same place again?” Much of the background noise drops away at the song’s finish as just one intently plucked guitar line meanders to the finish.
Hughes has a feel for plying nostalgia, avoiding the cloyingly sweet by turning strange phrases that make more sense the longer you listen. “Culvert Wings,” featuring the ghost of an electric guitar and a chair creak punctuating the close-out, offers an ode to Galaga: “Which goes to show/There are still things a quarter’s for/I know/It’s pretty hard to hit the high scores.”
For Dan Blakeslee’s first proper studio album since 1999, Harrity recorded everything in his home studio in South Portland and in Anna Hepler’s studio/gallery the Map Room, on Portland’s Fore Street. Here, the warm caressing foundation of Juliet Nelson’s cello lifts up Blakeslee’s wavering and classical vocals, a clear departure from his earlier material, which was more upbeat and jaunty. On Lincoln Street Roughs, Blakeslee channels his inner Leonard Cohen, eschewing the manic personality many of us know from his Halloween recordings and ever-present toothy grin to explore darker themes. Often supplying drums, bass, and guitar on each of the eight tracks, Blakeslee doesn’t quite reach the heights of Antony and the Johnsons’ Tiny Tim, but edges toward the falsetto from time to time, and on “Carrie” harmonizes with Nelson to advise, “Carrie, take the needle out of your arm/These drugs will do you no good and just cause you harm.”
Considering these treatments and releases, there’s plenty to be excited about with Peapod. Brown Bird and Dead End Armory ought both to mesh well with Harrity’s quickly established fondness for honest songwriters and thoughtful musicians.
“Right now, we’re starting pretty small,” says Harrity. “This is a weird batch of releases, non-traditional in the types of things we’re releasing. In December, I’m going to do another four releases from actually playing touring bands. ... Long-term, if after a year of this it can sustain itself, I want to shoot for vinyl, maybe minimize the amount of CDs I do.” We’ll see what the future holds, but this is an exciting development indeed for fans of smart music.
On the Web
Peapod Recordings: www.danblakeslee.com | www.peapodrecordings.com
Email the auhor
Sam Pfeifle: sam_pfeifle@yahoo.com.
