Search - Mel Cooleys :: Live? in Seattle

"Fun, Fluffy, Filling, and proFound" wrapped up in one.

bryantruss | Redmond, wa United States | 02/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The album is immediately enjoyable and accessible, yet deeply textured. You come for the melodies, yet you stay for the lyrical depth, complexity, and layered delivery.
I've had this album for a number of years, (after seeing them by chance at a music festival), and still get great enjoyment from listening to it."Welcome to the New World" is my favorite cut. A song unequalled in it's ability to paint a broken marriage and midlife crisis and ensuing opportunity with nothing more than a series of sub-phrases consisting of adjective/noun pairings and the title line.Vocals are fantastic, great blending, flowing gracefully back and forth as a single voice or a perfect harmonization at will. No small feat when you realize how many syllables Andrew can cram into a measure.Andrew's lyrics are second to none. I don't say that lightly. In fact, I think they are genius in their mock simplicity. Other great lyricists actually need to make sure that we understand how deep they are and how selective they've been. Andrew's lyrics aren't trying to impress anyone, He's not afraid to go from cutesy to ironic to triple entendre to a multi-layered analogy in a single stanza. His song subjects also run the gamut. You wouldn't find many folks putting out a child like song"Little Skipper" (yes, as in Barbie doll Skipper) on the same album with a forlorn song like "Comfort Me". Yet both are treated with the same lyrical care. There is no lyrical equal to Andrew (across all his albums). This is mainly because no-one else even attempts his lyrical style. Free-flowing and as fast as they come, (think Fed-ex commercial, or post-commercial legal disclaimers), yet they can hold up under a microscope of repeated listening. This is what makes the album have such a long shelf life. They can be taken as carefree, but weren't created that way. Depth is optional for the listener. `Doug Engaged' is a great example.The rhythms, especially on the guitar are superb. Truly unique. Can't explain, just listen. The only criticism I have of the album is it's mixing, especially on the initial track. The vocals which should be frontstage, especially on this cut, are too distant, and the acoustical accompaniment takes the focus. I would recommend this to folks who like David Wilcox, Christine Lavin, or the old Bare Naked Ladies. I would compare it to Gordon (by BNL). Fanciful, not taking itself too seriously, but underneath the surface, the simplicity is a veneer for a much more skilled songwriting. I sense a valid tinge of frustration from the group that they have not become more popular. Indeed, it's a shame, they're too deep for bubble gum music, and not taken seriously enough by the elite as worthy of being truly artistic. They're too fun for folk music, and not hip enough for pop rock. But for those who don't feel a need to justify themselves to the music critics, and want something that is textured enough to provide years of enjoyable listening across a range of subject, this is truly unique and great album."