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Some of Jim Greer’s songs have a humor about them, even though the lyrics themselves aren’t essentially comic. I suppose humor can be inherent in context of the music itself. Maybe it’s because his words have a tendency to be brainy and my immature side finds it amusing to find them here. Big Thieves has the feel of They Might Be Giants without the outright silliness. In other words, the last They Might be Giants record. The talented Greer throws everything against the wall to see what sticks. And with me it’s hit and miss. I highly recommend just about every other song that follows. That what sticks, sticks hard.
"Perfect Trees" starts in with all the acoustic darkness of The Swans. A mature minor progression with subtle organ and springing electric slights in behind. The chorus breaks right out of the darkness into a field of poppies. Jim’s prominent mid-western AOR accent harmonizes with itself. He possesses a nice voice and a poetic grasp of language. Light strings lead back into the depth of the verses. Quite a beautiful piece with Spanish noodlings toward the backend. Love Stephen Bishop? Try the nasty jazz of "In The Nightfall." Suitably sickening background vocals are a bane to the wild lyrics. "I stole a red jacket from the tree of God. I think he wanted for a devil to put it on." It has wimpy piano and a yucky Fagan steely vocal line. And for all the neat production tricks he uses, this song ends. Just plain ends. The dark animal verses of "Stay and Flatter Me" seem to have nothing to do with the chorus. "All over a horizon of sky, the cowboys smoke and wonder why they look like fools to the east. Rodeo, slaughter and herding beasts." This is a gorgeous layout of strumming, handclaps and organ. But it’s the occasional smart-ass strings that really make it special. The cricket overlaps into the next song, an exceptionally clever transition that had me looking around for the little bugger. But what it brings is a folk-hop David Wilcox kind of swill. For a more obscure comparison, it reminds me somehow of Daniel Amos. The shining point for "This Is What I Mean" is the Billy Holiday by way of Squirrel Nut voice. But then Jim makes himself CSN& Young for the tear jerking "What Have You Done." If Simon & Garfunkel had someone snapping at the bottom of that elevator, "The Boxer" would have been this. Sweet and lovely guitar picking. This piece is very stirring, with great vocal rhythms. "Well I broke a lot hearts when I was young and didn’t understand. Just a punk without a method. Light heart and a heavy hand."
And just like that, more transient drum ‘n’ bass crap. No more to say about "Tim Carter Vs. The Grizzly." This is where the order gets screwy, because "Own My Shadow" is a mid-heavy rocker that loses me. Even the Charlie Daniels fiddle can’t make it work for me. The James P Carse book is a better time. Taylor Dayne’s "Tell It To My Heart" gets lifted on cello sounding guitar in the instrumental "Autumn Moon." If music alone can be funny, this is it. The accordion is good too; the hip-hop breakbeat is not. "Just A Young Man" has its roots in simpler Flaming Lips. A little electronic whizzing and electric piano behind the acoustic guitar and military snare to the oddball story, "His eyes were often stricken with the pain of working man’s dues. A girl I know is wiccan said that she thought he was just paying dues." This one’s quickly become close to me. Greer sounds like one of Loudon Wainright’s kids on "In It Now." The roller rink organ is fun, and the booming drums are fantastic. But no wonder Ben Folds is out of work. Everyone is stealing his schtick, and it wasn’t that great when he did it. "After It All Goes Down" is a great way to redeem the mood. Jim lays down a rolling piano line with the bass hand and chords the right. Very intimately, he tells the tender tale. Now I’m off to find Rover Songs to rip all the good songs and put together the perfect album.
~Ewan Wadharmi
Track Listing:
- Perfect Trees
- In the Nightfall
- Stay and Flatter Me
- Winery Cricket
- This Is What I Mean
- What You Might Have Done
- Tim Carter Vs. The Grizzly
- Own My Shadow
- Autumn Moon
- Just a Young Man
- In It Now
- After It All Goes Down
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