Search - Joe Pernice :: Big Tobacco

Is this healthy?

11/23/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The question is not whether Joe Pernice is brilliant or not. The question is whether it is healthy listening to his music. Tempered with happier albums in between listenings, I'd say yes, my good friend.
This is his 6th album (the 7th and last in my collection because until recently only available as an expensive import). I give this one an easy four stars, although it's probably my least favorite of the 7. I give everything else he's done 5 stars, except the first Pernice Brothers album.
My slight problem with this one is the same as with that one. Half of the songs are absolute brilliant pop country masterpieces and then there are maybe 3 songs in there that are just so slow and depressing and and humorless and drag along that even if there are brilliant lyrics in there I can't bring myself to not hit the track forward button before having severely suicidal thoughts.
The contrast between the ultra-gorgeous pop songs and the ultra slow ones in these 2 records is just too much. Maybe menacing, slow moving dark clouds just seem too ugly when put next to super pretty, fluffy dark clouds.
Chappaquiddick Skyline, the one before this, all ultra-depressing as mentioned---somehow in it's uniform depressingness, in the end manages to be thoroughly uplifting to me.
Anyway, the first 4 tracks are utterly brilliant and might be the first thing I'd play for someone to convert them into a Joe Pernice fan."

A reverse "grower"

Davy | Athens, GA | 08/01/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"here's what i said then: "the album that's gonna make me have to change my year-end best of list...this guy puts out three albums a year it seems like, all under different names...this time he's simply gone with his own name. great rootsy record, it'll make my top five."



in retrospect, this album's second half kills it. the first six songs or so are great, but the momentum dies long before the album's over. don't get me wrong, i'm a huge joe pernice fan, as far back as the scud mountain boys' first albums, but this isn't his best work. it plays like a good solid EP with a few throwaway bonus tracks."