By: Chris Ball
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The release of a new Piney Gir album is always a small cause for celebration. Whether it is in the form of electro pop, indie rock or Americana, there is always such an air of joie de vivre attached to the work of the lady dubbed ‘the Dolly Parton of indie rock’. Personally I most enjoy it when Gir goes back to her roots and sings her spiky country songs and her first full country set Hold Yer Horses remains a career high point. Gir (like hip hop’s Tone Loc) has one of those voices that sounds like its always being sung with a smile. This time around its aligned to a set of indie rock tunes which have been compared to Flaming Lips circa “Yoshima Battles the Pink Robots”.
She’s assembled a crack team including Andy Ramsey of Stereolab on production duties and musicians that include members of Gaz Coombes’ and Emiliana Torrini’s bands. That all sounds promising and containing the required levels of warmth and invention you’d expect. Sad to say then that after the first couple of numbers this album falls pretty flat. It may be that the themes of loss and acceptance this album deals with have resulted in a bunch of tunes lacking Gir’s usual sass and grit. The wishy washy and subdued nature of a lot of these songs mean they slip by unnoticed – whereas in the past her songs have always kicked you in the shins and then give you a cheeky wink – making them impossible to ignore. It’s telling that the last song descends into a messy tantrum, desperate in the end to convince you of its passion.
It all begins well enough with ‘Gold Rules’ which most obviously displays the attempt at a Dave Fridmann production sound of fuzzy, almost industrial bottom end with acoustic strumming on top. The lyrics are an unremarkable run through of the ‘you can’t take it with you’ theme, but the tune is memorable and it contains the required amount of perk you’d want from an opening tune. The album peaks way too early on next track ‘Keep It Together’ a lovely, sparkling folk pop number that drifts into a darker krautrock ending and may betray the leanings of the man behind the mixing desk.
‘Purple Heart’ reminds me of Emiliani Torrini in the way it’s just so damn pretty, her multi track vocals are almost plain song in style, but the song itself isn’t memorable enough to leave an impression. It’s only on “Ugly Bones” that Gir produces anything else really interesting here. It has the velvety gothic air of Tom Waits “Alice” album and sounds like the sort of tune Tim Burton and Helena Bonham-Carter waltz round their haunted ballroom to.
That closing musical tantrum – ‘Mouse of Ghost’ is heavily indebted to Sparklehorse, with added pop nous and an almost naive vocal performance from Gir, which quickly descends into a heavily fuzzed guitar squall. It is neither inventive of jarringly surprising, merely irritating.
There’s little else here to merit your attention and that is a real disappointment. However, I have faith in a Piney Gir – she’ll bounce back, she’s tough, too smart and too talented not to.
