Perhapst

A musician friend of mine is fond of saying that without a good drummer a band is nothing. While this idea has some validity, it has never been truer than in the case of the self-titled debut from Perhapst. The “band” is the brain child of The Decemberists drummer, John Moen, who sings and plays most of the instruments. Without the drummer there literally would be no band. Former band mates, including Stephen Malkmus and members of the Dharma Bums, provide additional instrumentation for the recording and fill out the live band. Current Decemberists band mate, Chris Funk, also plays live.

The opening track “Quote” is a twangy ballad that evokes the label “Americana” but has elements that evolve the style, as do many tracks on the album. The second track “Maryanne” is a piece of pure pop genius, right down to the “na-na-na”s in the chorus, and is perhaps the catchiest song of the bunch. Bright and fun, I found it difficult to continue listening further as I kept hitting repeat. It finds its balance in the next track “Blue Year” with lyrics like “everyday was tears, I know cause I was there.” Though pop elements punctuate the chorus, it is, as one might guess, mournful but also hopeful. “Hyper Planets” continues the serious, introspective theme. Largely acoustic, electric elements add experimental edge.

Like The Decemberists, Moen utilizes humor and tongue-in-cheek phrases to add a quirky depth to his songs. Despite these similarities, Moen brings a style all his own to Perhapst. In “Cruel Whisk”, an acoustic guitar folk song, Moen advises to “cook yourself and spare the bird.” In the harmonica punctuated, Dylanesque, “Caution” he opines that “there never was a God, the whole thing was a con.” While in the song “Bornless One”, the songs subject is “pleasantly Satanic, communes with cows and crows.” The pretty instrumentation and occasionally falsetto, lullaby vocals belie the darkly comic subject matter while the playful lyrics obscure more deeply thoughtful ideas. “Alamand”, with its strings and mournful melody, along with “Incense Cone” and “Harbour” again provide counterpoints to the humorous, light material with their serious, thoughtful, and occasionally sad subject matter.

Funny yet sad, experimental yet rooted in solid tradition, playful yet serious, John Moen covers a lot of ground on his debut solo album. As with any good piece of music, the more you listen to it, the more you discover. Never too heavy on one side or another, he balances the extremes to deliver a well-crafted album that will appeal to old fans and new ones alike. This may be his first solo album but hopefully it isn’t his last.

Highlight Track: “Maryanne”

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