Bill Mallonee

Item: Perfumed Letter
Author: Darryl A. Armstrong

Perfumed Letter

(2003)

Reviewed by Darryl A. Armstrong

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Paste RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2003

americana britpop pop rock

Perfumed Letter stands out as yet another new beginning for Bill Mallonee. He's found a new home at Paste, a quickly growing powerhouse of Americana with its on-line store, nationally distributed magazine, and new record label. Mallonee's also found a new sound. He's injected his classic folk-rock with a heavy dose of Brit-pop with mixed results.

To long-time fans, this new version of Mallonee might strike a few bad chords. The keyboards and electronic sounds may sound out of place or just "cheesy." A perfect example, "Two Become One" sounds very much like a stripped down Lightning Seeds song. But this new direction really shouldn't catch anyone by surprise. Ever since VoL's Summershine, Mallonee has been heading this direction musically.

What's not new about this album is, surprisingly, many of the songs. Four songs are taken off of last year's Fetal Position and another, "Your Bright Future," appeared on the Electromeo EP. In addition, if you've seen Bill play live recently, you've probably heard most, if not all, of the new compositions.

Of the recycled songs, I was glad to see "Crescent Moon" included here. Originally released on Fetal Position, this little gem is easily the most moving song to be written by a Christian musician since Rich Mullins' "My Deliverer." On initial listen, this song may appear to be a rather simple story of new-found love. On further inspection, the song becomes a powerful and profound statement of the magic and mystery of life and love. The music evokes a perfect feeling of awkward anticipation with just a touch of the sadness that is inherent in growing up. And lyrically, Mallonee tells a story of human interaction while alluding to the greater truths of our interaction with God: "Where do I begin? / Where do I venture in? / To come inside this love / That's sacramental."

Much as Nick Cave's love songs are shaded by a touch of the dark and sinister, Mallonee's love songs have always been colored by a stroke of melancholy. But in "Two Become One," we find Mallonee displaying a bit of whimsy: "You'll believe in magic / With these higher mathematics / Two become one." While Mallonee may be exploring new sonic vehicles, he is clearly retaining his lyrical wit and poignancy. In "Silver Transparent," "Your words are just a web / That you weave to cover yourself / Your words are just a wall / That's between you and everybody else."

This album is the first step in a new direction for Mallonee, effectively looking back and closing a chapter while moving forward to begin a new one. So while some may be disappointed with the lack of new material or the new sound of this release, hopefully it is a marker of great things to come.

3.5 tocks