Since their new album, Discover a Lovelier You, is out soon, and since someone (flem?) mentioned Overcome By Happiness as one of the "classic" indie rock albums, I thought a thread about the sheer brilliance of Joe Pernice's various bands was in order.

For those who don't know him, Pernice was the main-man in the late, lamented alt-country/slow core band The Scud Mountain Boys, who released three records and then split. The first two records are available on one disc (The Early Year) and the SubPop debut, Massachusetts, (the 3rd album) is one of my favorite Americana discs ever.

After the split (other members formed the also good King Radio), Joe and his bro Bob put together a new group and have released 3 great studio records and a live album. The new one is the 4th studio disc. If you pre-order it from the band's label, Ashmont Records, before May 24, you get a bonus, a limited edition comic booklet. They've always given fans great gifts on pre-orders (including CD-R's of demos and a really cool book of lyrics to all Pernice-penned songs) and this one will be no different.

The Pernice Brothers are oft-compared to American Music Club, Eric Matthews, The Shins, and others who perform song-driven but lushly poppy music. Joe's soft, whispery vocals give the songs a slow-core feel, at times, but the musicianship is strictly chamber-pop. Lots of orchestration, lots of flourishes, but never at the expense of the songs.

There are also a few good Pernice side-projects, including one-off groups like Big Tobacco (a Pernice solo project) and Chappaquidick Skyline, a collaboration with John Crooke, of alt-countryers Jolene. And Pernice, who has a Master's in Creative Writing, also penned a volume on the Smiths Meat Is Murder for the 33 1/3 music book series.

I don't really have time to go into it now, but I want to say that the last two Pernice Brothers albums were excellent. Sometimes they seem so good at what they're doing that it's almost overkill, but I liked both albums a lot, and I would think they would be great to share with that special someone...at least if they aren't wearing a mohawk and have several safety pins as fleshy fashion accessories.

Yeah, Pernice is definitely a big Smiths fan...the vocals on "Water Ban" (from YM&O) are practically Morrissey incarnate. I agree their albums are micro-managed to being almost too perfect sometimes, which cuts down on their replay value for me at least...but every few months I put them in for a dose of total pop ecstasy

Okay, I bought 'The World Won't End', here's what I think.

I really like the Pernice Brothers' sound, but I think the songwriting and the vocals are a bit bland.

It'd probably just barely make my top ten for 2001, but...well, let's just say, if Fountains of Wayne wrote a collection of songs for the Pernice Brothers to perform, it'd be a true classic.

A FOW/Pernice collaboration...wow, bob, you just gave me the chills!

I love Joe's lyrics...the music can get a little samey, but I never mind. It's always so purty...

The tracks I've heard from the new one seem to be a little more 80's influenced...more new wavey and even more Smiths-influenced. I've got high hopes. Almost anything Pernice-related is always at the top of my faves list...I hope this one is no different.

After having a few days to soak in the music of Discover a Lovelier You, I guess I can say a few things about it here. After the fairly lousy Pitchfork review today (here: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/p/pernice-...a-lovelier-you.shtml), I guess I should say something, since I started this thread. Here goes:

1. It is, as Marc Hogan points out, a very 80's-influenced sounding disc. The Smiths fixation is obvious (jangly, Johnny Marr-styled guitars are EVERYWHERE!!!) but there's also a more New Wave-y sheen that isn't quite Smiths. The instrumental "Discover a Lovelier You" is gorgeous, jangly, perfect summertime pop, despite Hogan's claims that this is not a summer record.

2. I'm not sure if Pernice is as vaunted a lyricist as Hogan claims, but I also don't know why Hogan decides to take shots at the fact that Pernice, a published poet and short story writer, has an MFA. Maybe Hogan got rejected from MFA programs and needs someone to take it out on. Moreover, though, the same kind of lyricism that Pernice gets slagged for is loudly acclaimed when Colin Meloy (Decemberists) does it. Either way, I'm not sure why his "O. Henry affectations" are an issue. To restate the topic of another recent Forum discussion, I don't expect the lyrics to pop songs to be poetry, even if the author has an MFA.

3. It's not nearly as immediately poppy and rewarding as past Pernice Brothers records, but the melodies and words sink into your subconscious and grow on you. I'm starting to REALLY like it.

4. The duet with Blake Hazard on "Subject Drop" is both inspired and gorgeous. Just when I think Joe's topped himself with "Amazing Glow", he comes back with this. Wow.

5. Comparisons, by Hogan, to the new Josh Rouse and Ryan Adams' Britpop-influenced Love Is Hell are good ones...if you like those records, you should love this.

Hmm..what if I thought the Rouse album was 'pretty good', and I think Ryan Adams is okay?

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
Hmm..what if I thought the Rouse album was 'pretty good', and I think Ryan Adams is okay?

It's probably a 50/50 proposition at that point. Although the comparison to those two has more to do with the general tone of the records than the specifics. Given the things you've said you liked a lot on these Forums, and things you've not been so high on, I'm guessing you won't like this as much as I do, but I think some songs are streaming on the bands site, so you could try it out. If you can choose tracks, try "Saddest Quo" or "Dumb It Down" or "Discover a Lovelier You" or "Amazing Glow" or "Subject Drop"...

Well, I was going to buy it based on enjoying their 2001 album. Is that a mistake?

It's different from The World Won't End but not drastically so. It's a little more understated and less upfront with the melodies, but still quite lush and pretty. It's less samey, which is a complaint I've heard about the Bros (which I don't share), and a little bit quieter.

I missed your post on buying TWWE...if I had seen it, I would have said this one was a slam dunk given your past Pernice love and the fact that you liked the Rouse.

Okay, I like Discover a Lovelier You.

It sort of sounds like The World Won't End, except they actually tried to write good songs this time around.

And the lyrics are well above average. That Pitchfork guy is just trying to be indie-cool.

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I thought I'd quietly point out that, at the time I listened to the album and decided I liked it, the only review I'd seen was Pitchfork's 5.8.

*Another* album that I liked ends up getting a really good metascore...it's getting downright weird.

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