McGarvey Delivers Quirky, Powerful Pop
By Ricky Flake
The little Indian headdress packed in with this cd
matches the one on the album’s cover subject, and that
was a real surprise. Even more surprising are the cocktail
drums McGarvey plays. I’ve played them, and it’s a
different type of percussion experience, one that allows
the drummer to stand up while playing. The
"singer/songwriter/drummer genre is born" slogan
notwithstanding, this is a nifty album of quirky,
sometimes powerful pop that could wind up on my Top
Ten List at year’s end.
McGarvey played drums for a number of NYC-area
bands, including The Vipers and The Liquor Giants; but it
is his tenure as lead singer for Valentine Smith is his real
claim to fame. That band released three albums and
shared stages with The Wallflowers, Lemonheads, and
NRBQ among others. This album is McGarvey’s first solo
effort andwill be released April 22.
Here he has made a more intimate record, playing
cocktail drums and guitars on all tracks, as well as
enlisting the support of The Good Thieves as backing
band. These folks, Thomas Novembre and Eric
dePicciotto (guitars), bassist William Paris, and former
Valentine Smither Kimberly Nordling- Curtin on violin and
flute, occasionally supplemented by others, form quite a
group. The resulting album, recorded on a combination
of 4- and 8-track cassette recorders and ProTools
software, is a gem.
The album brims with catchy choruses, jangling guitars,
and memorable hooks, like the folksy opener, "Stay" (an
excellent tune, with a tired title) with its alt-country
chorus, Andy Burton’s shimmering keyboards, and
Curtin’s angelic harmonies, and the witty subway tale of
a lovely rider who was "Standing Next To Gloria
Steinem". The title track, which contains all of the
above and then some, is another perfect example of Bill
McGarvey’s talented blend of wordplay and
instrumentation. The album has many rocking moments,
as well, like "5 O’Clock Hero."
The aforementioned subway tune is extremely catchy,
sarcastic, and funny; it’s easily one of the best tunes
about a feminist icon in my memory. Another great
metaphor lives in "Jericho Smile", which is one of the
album’s harder-hitting tunes, musically. The "hits" just
keep on coming on this album. It’s altogether
unfortunate that in today’s rigidly formatted radio world
they probably won’t get much airplay outside of college
radio.
Be advised to hang on after the great last song, "I Hear
Voices", and wait for the bonus track. It is the album’s
most Beatle-esque tune, "Sorrow", a country-tinged
piece of melancholy driven by Curtin’s violin. In a perfect
world, it would be a crossover pop-country hit.
Make no mistake, this is not the down-tuned, distorted
stuff of many "rock" play lists. This is jangling,
hook-filled stuff, truly enjoyable.
Ask at local stores, or shop online at www.billmcgarvey.com