Bill Mallonee

Item: Perfumed Letter
Author: Dave Kerschbaum

Perfumed Letter

(2003)

Reviewed by Dave Kerschbaum

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Paste RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2003

americana britpop pop rock

When the Vigilantes of Love parted company at the beginning of 2002, it officially marked the start of Bill Mallonee's solo career. The former roots-rock/Americana/alt-country band front man released two home-grown discs in the following year, hinting at the pop sensibilities featured on VoL's final album, Summershine. Meanwhile, the brains behind Paste Music and Paste Magazine were putting together Paste Records. The fledgling label has come together with the veteran musician for the national release of Mallonee's latest disc, Perfumed Letter, and the verdict is in: if the Vigilantes of Love were Southern-fried Americana, Bill Mallonee is Brit pop.

Long-time followers need not despair, however. This move toward pop accessibility has not included a jettison of the smart turns-of-phrase or thought-provoking lyrics that have prompted some to compare Mallonee's songwriting to that of Dylan and his ilk. Indeed, often Mallonee gives us pause by wrapping a raw look at life's disappointments and failures in beautiful, symphonic layers or bright, catchy choruses.

Several songs on Perfumed Letter were lifted from Mallonee's first indie solo release, Fetal Position, to give them the national spotlight they deserve. The first of these starts the disc. "She's So Liquid" sports a very sixties psychedelic influence, ala Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, replete with layers of orchestral synths. The lush, symphonic sound continues with the title track, featuring more synths, and a bright, catchy chorus: "your love is fire and all aglow / it's shimmering with vertigo / we're shining hard like video."

"Life on Other Planets," also originally on Fetal Position, uses a Moog to highlight extra-terrestrial implications as Mallonee sings, "You believed in God and new romantics / life out there on other planets." The song touches on quiet regret with the bridge, "I'm always falling in love / it's the least you can do / I'm always falling in love / with something other than you."

"Two Become One" is one of the most catchy, fun songs on the disc. The chorus easily gets stuck in the listener's head after the first spin. Here is an ode to melding of lives and the experience of falling in love: "Two become one / and I hope you're having fun / You'll believe in magic / with these higher mathematics."

This is followed by another memorable melody in "Silver Transparent," a lilting tune that sounds like an August evening. There are some classic Mallonee lyrics contained within, juxtaposing images of blessing and curse: "It was louder than a bomb in me / it was softer than a kiss," and, "Sometimes God opens up the deepest of wounds."

"Crescent Moon" is a pretty love song that touches on the awkward self-consciousness of one falling in love. Mallonee sings, "...Looking down I asked if I could kiss you / even that you walked me through," and later, "Stumbling when I come / tripping over my own dumb tongue / for God's sake, don't these mamma's boys ever grow up?" In the chorus, the singer displays his desire to please his sweetheart despite his flaws and limits: "If you wished on the brightest star / would you consider a crescent moon? / If I'm late, honey wait / I will bring it soon."

Except for a postscript bonus cut that previously appeared on an Internet-only release, the album's big finish is "Shirts & Skins." This song starts with simply strummed chords and builds to an anthematic, symphonic conclusion ala Radiohead.

Despite the fact that the songs on this record came from no fewer than three separate recording sessions over as many as three years, Perfumed Letter plays out as a cohesive whole. Mallonee teamed up with Tom Lewis to produce a lush musical landscape. Thematically, Mallonee touches on familiar subjects such as pain and joy, loss and redemption, failure and hope. His timing may be perfect: With Perfumed Letter, Mallonee offers perhaps his most accessible effort to date with a young label -- made up of fans of his work -- firmly behind him.

4 tocks