Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Elvis Perkins in Dearland (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

4.5 stars - AMAZING!!!

Daniel Martin | Worthington, WV United States | 08/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love Elvis Perkins' music. I became a fan as soon as Ash Wednesday came out. And where that album faultered just a little, this one does not. The songs are amazing. The first two songs are two of the best songs to come out this year, "Shampoo" and "Hey." The first is a dark, moody song with a great melody and a Tom Pettyesqu harmonica solo. The second is an upbeat little ditty that sounds like a song M. Ward wishes he could write, no offense to M. Ward. I don't know if there is another album out this year that can rival this one in terms of the two opening songs...even into the third song, "Hours Last Stand." All these songs are amazing. Even when he gets into a long ballad type song with "Send My Fond Regards to Lonelyville", which clocks in at over 6 minutes, it's just flows along and it's over before you realize it. The album ends with the very bittersweet piano ballad, "How's Forever Been Baby" which I like to think is a song about lovers reuniting in a sort of post apocalyptic world and it kind of makes sense that it might be about this considering one of the songs preceeding this one is "Doomsday."

One of the best albums of the year.

Key Track: Hey"

Heard it on NPR

Christopher L. Malan | Oklahoma City, OK | 03/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I heard this on NPR on the way to work this morning. It gave me shivers.

The music is dark with minor chords and the strong sense of nostalgia evident in the lyrics creates an emptiness in the pit of the stomach. However, through a process of catharsis the ultimate effect is very uplifting.

Buy it if you like highly multiphonic music with blues, jazz and alternative rock influences. Sounds like "The Arcade Fire.""

Brilliant

Jonathan Mazer | 03/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Elvis Perkins is the most exciting thing to happen to my generation of singer/songwriters-- and with Dearland, his music has become more upbeat while remaining as poignant as his debut, "Ash Wednesday". The best album of the year hands down."

Everyone has to buy this album

Marilyn D. Quinn | Thorofare, New Jersey USA | 07/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I tagged along with my daughter and a friend to see Elvis Perkins at the Clearwater Festival a few weeks ago. He did a great performance and the songs really were great, so I got both of his CDs and a couple of autographs. The crowd loved him and they all got up and jumped in rhythm for Doomsday. Great tunes, great words (I love the combo of dark lyrics and catchy upbeat tunes). I was immediately struck by the pleasant yet varied quality of his voice. The band is great and uses some interesting sounds... including brass, violin, hand organ, and Elvis' harmonica. There are so many influences showing in his music that it ends up quite original from the mix. Anyway, just get the two albums. I like the second better, but both are great and should become necessary purchases for anyone."

When bad lyrics happen to good songs

Jay Ruben | Boston, MA | 12/02/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"How I wish I could love this album. Elvis Perkins writes melodies that draw you in, and the band plays beautifully. The music is richly orchestrated and the songs have a beguiling pop Americana feel. One serious problem: The willful obscurity and tin-eared quality of the lyrics is a complete downer.

The musically marvelous opener starts, "Sweep up little sweeper boy, it's you who's got the wig on," and gets denser as it continues. I like an inscrutable lyric as much as the next listener, if it somehow is poetically evocative even when not literally comprehensible.

But where's the charm in such hamfisted puns and clumsy verse as: "This is how they come to leave their lonelinesses weeks will pass in a Tennis match before she for him undresses for so long with no point for the distant Mister the Near Misses twill be love," or "We were happy in the bathtub in the abacus of the rains once upon a time we take our laughter to the Blackboard with a calculus of pain and with good news from the weather vein."

For me, the cringe factor of the lyrics is too high to permit relistening, leaving frustration that Perkins mars his fine music with such undisciplined writing.

I will recommend this album only to non-English speakers."

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