The Minor Leagues : The Pestilence Is Coming- Cincinnati Post . June 15, 2006
A breezy yet satisfyingly chewy morsel of pop goodness, from its nostalgic horn charts to its grand swinging chorus and its intermittently goofy background vocals. Like any number of great old Kinks songs, this one has three solid, well-put-together parts.. And I will say that Walpole does manage to sound eerily like a cross between Davies and Mick Jones - especially eerie for a guy from Cincinnati. On the inside cover of The Pestilence Is Coming there's photos of 42 faces: the four members of the band, three featured musicians on the album, and 35 others who sang or played on it. I keep looking at them for some reason - they look like nice, friendly people, not exactly your average grizzly rock star-types. Together they've created a heck of a pop-rock album, though, one that's packed full of melody and light and an inspiring, lift-up sort of feeling. There's a community feeling to the music, one reminiscent in sound of Head of Femur and perhaps the Elephant 6 bands, Beulah especially. The music's big and sweeping, and the instrumentation is varied - lots of horns and percussion and joyous singing-together, making the Minor Leagues resemble a mini-orchestra at times. That communal feeling's appropriate too for an album that seems at times like a conceptual work about community, about social problems and how their handled (or not), about the end of the apocalypse and how we'll handle it. It starts with the hoopla of a store's grand opening, happening in the midst of crime and poverty as politicians offer only ineffectual crosstalk. And it ends with the end of the world, love, and unanswered questions: "No I just don't know the truth." With a veritable army of contributing musicians (42!) and a hilarious/timely concept, this epic record is exactly what a concept album should be. Similar in scope and melodic sensibility to the Decemberists, with a wry and sardonic sense of humor evocative of Ween, The Minor Leagues have put together a powerhouse album - a contemporary creative masterpiece of cynicism and musicality. 5 stars. The scale of this album is amazing. It's full of grandeur - it tells a story of self-discovery and is layered with about 40 musicians. It's like some lost great American novel, but this one is set with a sonic quality of a Beulah pop album. Set it Cincinnati, where people have 'run away from the riots, the city, the fear.' And our narrator begins by thinking he has no control over his destiny, stuck in a city where 'the superficial scene's such a drag.' He needs out. And he begins to dream of more Ð of a Canadian dreamland. Through his dreams, he takes a new look at the place he lives and what he loves. He finds some solace in staying to himself. He fleshes out that love theme. And he realizes he has control of his destiny. (#3 - Best Albums of 2006)- The Wheel's Still In Spin . January 23, 2007
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Datawaslost : Beep Click Strum Sing
Coltrane Motion
The Minor Leagues
The Pestilence Is Coming
MP3 [ Scene It All Before ]
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