The Pernice Brothers – all-climate mint music

The weather people are predicting record breaking temperatures in London and the best thing to do during such a dog-day afternoon is to follow the canine’s stylee: find a cool place and doze the day away. Or, you can find a shade and turn up The Pernice Brothers’ ‘Yours, Mine & Hours’, it is a refreshing and comforting disc, like evening breeze for your spirit.

This is the third album in a career that is on the fringe of record business because it sounds like a CD made by people who love music. Despite what Joe Pernice claims in the press release that after ‘9/11 Tragedy’ he contemplated giving up but, in the end – “it was all about rediscovering the joy in things, and hanging on to them for dear life.” Thank Amadeus!

Recorded in secluded Vermont place (finished in Brooklyn), there is a definite pastoral sound to the record, some beautiful open-space feel that lets a listening soul feel liberated. The mental-projection it evoked in me is that of a drive through Washington State and the trees, taller than the bloody BT Tower, keep everything else away, it’s like being green-day confined… Opening the window you hear a soundtrack ‘created’ by nature… (Ignoring the sound of tyres and engine hum, obviously.)

‘Water Ban’, ‘Blinded By The Stars’, ‘Waiting For The Universe’ are like aquarelles, just a bit more than sketches, leaving plenty of room to attach your imagery. These songs are not vague but certainly restrained, dreamy, marvellous harmony-over-acoustic instruments, somehow like evaporated morning dew… Even when they up the rhythm, ‘The Weakest Shade Of Blue’, ‘One Foot In The Grave’ or epic-proportion track (‘Number Two’), it still rings so mellow and ear-friendly to make Coldplay sound like a bunch of rockers.

Echoes of country guitars are succeeded by folk touches in this most elegant of pop music. Class. But, Joe reckons that “No wonder the record industry is such a mess. People like us polluting the hallowed ground. I nearby confess: Ashmont Records [band’s own label] ruined the record industry!” Sense of humour that doesn’t find place in the grooves. “To give you a hint of the sound of ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’,” he helpfully writes, “for months the working title was ‘Pretty In Pinkerton’.” Perhaps a song title of their indicates it better, ‘Sometimes I Remember’. It could well be ‘Summertimes…’

Despite its refreshing effect on hot days these songs are for all seasons you can to bring with you.

8/10

Tour dates:

10 August – Summer Sundae Festival, Leicester
11 August – Broadwalk, Sheffield
12 August – King Tuts, Glasgow
13 August – Academy 3, Manchester
14 August – Borderline, London
15 August – Barfly, Cardiff
16 August – Whelans, Dublin