Search - Bill Mallonee :: Perfumed Letter

VOL IS BACK! (sort of)

Thomas H. Ayers | Bowie, MD United States | 08/30/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bill Mallonee's band Vigilantes of Love was one of those bands that get rave reviews but little press: one of the greatest bands nobody has heard of, so some background is in order here. Vigilante of Love (VOL)'s ninth and last studio album, the critically acclaimed Summershine, was something of a commercial failure in that the band succumbed to various pressures and broke up. The driving force of the band, singer/songwriter Bill Mallonee, continued to write songs and put out, with the help of VOL alumni, two solo albums, Fetal Position and Locketfull of Moonlight, both of which contained some really fine songs. Sadly, neither was nationally released...which brings us to Perfumed Letter. Perfumed Letter is Mallonee's first national release since Summershine, and it serves as a reunion of sorts. Billy Holmes (from VOL's Killing Floor and Blister Soul) joins Jake Bradley and Kevin Heuer (from VOL's last and most durable band lineup) and other musicians to become the Tiny Silver Hearts, Mallonee's new band. Together they have put together an unusual potpourri of twelve songs, five of which ("She's So Liquid", "Life on Other Planets", "Crescent Moon", Wintergreen", and "After All You've Done for Me") are borrowed from Fetal Position.Mallonee is an extremely literate and gifted songwriter who doesn't shy away from pain, and here he has crafted some fine songs, evocations of happy and sad memories awakened by the scent of a perfumed letter. It's hard to separate the lyrics from the music on this one. Words and phrases like "luminous", "vertigo", "sunshine", "cobalt blue", and "perfumed letter" meld with music that is reminiscent of the psychedelia of the 1960s with Southern rock and alternative country thrown in the mix. The hazy, dreamy synthesizers mesh with Mallonee's distinctive voice to create very atmospheric songs about love, sadness, faith, and despair. The overall sense is one of longing, and the brilliant "Your Bright Future" sums it up with "I'm losing myself and I know...I am afraid" against some hesitant yet upbeat music.Songs from Fetal Position are among the strongest songs on the album, but I may feel this way because they are so familiar. Although the album Fetal Position never quite won me over, in the context of this album, the Fetal Position songs are like breaths of fresh air against the smokey atmosphere of the newer songs. Of these, the beautiful "Crescent Moon" ("and if you wished for the brighest star, would you consider a crescent moon?") and the longing "After All You've Done for Me" ("oh, the stories that you tell your head to keep your heart intact") are probably my favorites. Of the new songs, the psychedelic "Perfumed Letter", the Tom Petty-like "Extraordinary Girl" (definitely not "American Girl" but it sure reminds me of it initially), "Shirts and Skins", and "Your Bright Future" are my favorites so far. "Silver Transparent" also deserves special mention: musically, it conveys that sense of disembodiment you feel sitting on the porch late at night with only the crickets to listen to. Lyrically, the song is a devastating reminiscence: "silver transparent/morphine drips beside your bed...something's wrong but you never let it show/something's wrong I know I know I know". The net effect is redemptive and thus, like the album, cathartic and tentatively hopeful.

If you are a fan of Bill Mallonee or VOL, you will find this album refreshingly different yet oddly familiar; don't miss it. If you are new to either one, then this album is a good overview of the Bill Mallonee/VOL style of the past several years; it's worth checking out."

Fresh Air

colligandotcom | Portland, Oregon | 10/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I once heard someone say "the songs on the radio just (still) suck i'm afraid it is my turn to drive and i can barely stay awake."What a breath of fresh air.The songs on the radio do suck. Although the song is thirteen years old, not much has changed. When I'm forced to listen, I can't stay awake either.That was Bill Malonee then.Bill has grown up - so have I."where do i begin / where do i venture in / to knock upon the door / of possibilities?" Bill understands now that he knows less than he ever did and I'm slowly learning the same things myself.This isn't the same Americana Bill as on the other albums. He's growing up, maturing and the music reflects that. He's telling his story through a more Brit approach that reflects the very nature of the people who are taking him more seriously. You can't dance to most of the songs on this one, you can't automatically catch the imagery, you get nothing as blunt as you might have liked from his previous stuff, no Buddy Miller, the list goes on.You'll have to work hard for this one - and it is so worth it.Grow with this artist. He's giving you more on this platter than I'll bet you have in your car right now."the treasures make you laugh and cry" (Shirts and Skins)"

Is there life on other planets?

Steve White | Grand Island, NE USA | 11/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The opener, "She's So Liquid" showcases the Bill Mallonee sound. Dreamy , distorted guitars and warm organ sounds encase Mallonee's earnest vocals. Mallonee had shown signs of pursuing a college radio friendly sound, with songs like "It's Not Bothering Me" on his band's last album. But there are no percussive anthems here. Mallonee is clearly recalling his childhood favorites from the British invasion. "Extraordinary Girl" is a beautiful two-and-a-half minute pop song, ranking with "Extreme North of the Compass" and "Tempest" in that aspect in Mallonee's catalog. The biggest complaint many diehard VoL fans will have: They've heard most of these songs already. Many were featured on Mallonee's first true solo album Fetal Position. Now, Paste Magazine has started its own label, and they've culled songs from Fetal Position along with several new tracks."