Pop Cycle: Songs in the Key of D Minus
Wednesday 02 October @ 09:48:47 |
 by Donny Doane
Summer camp blew this year. In general it wasn’t much to write home about, but since I didn’t send one letter home from camp, I may as well send one from here. After all, no matter where I am when I send a letter, it’s always to wherever I’m not. And that would be home. So here it comes, and there it goes. From wherever, to wherever.
Though camp may have, for the most part, been disappointing, you can always count on the counselors to turn you on to the latest and best with their musical collections. The approval of a camp counselor is what definitively makes a summer song a Summer Song. Since the counselors are older, they have better connections. I was lucky enough to have a cabin boss who had two pre-release copies of a record that became my special summertime soundtrack.
The psyche is a highly seasonal thing, and music should assume seasonal characteristics, react and fluctuate in response to climactic conditions. Good music warms us in the winter months and cools us in the summer. The next time you head out for some frozen treats, you might want to pop into a local record store to see what they have in their freezer case. If you’re lucky, you just might find Popcycle’s tasty new Songs In The Key Of “D” Minus, eleven songs of straight, simple storytelling set to easy-pedaling guitars that don’t need to be turned to eleven to be effective.
Songs is an amazingly easy album to listen to in it’s entirety. That can’t be said of a lot of albums, for which I find I have about a three-song threshold before reaching for the “stop” button. Popcycle wisely stocked their latest summer variety pack with all the satisfying and popular summertime flavors. There’s grape, cherry, lemon-lime, jangle, twang and tinkle; Stones, R.E.M., Byrds and all the things people around here find especially refreshing during the warmer months.
Popcycle’s effortless delivery keeps the sweat from beading by keeping it cool. The overall mouth feel starts sweet yet light, and finishes clean as a whistle, so that tongue and palate aren’t overwhelmed when tearing open the wrapper to start licking at the next treat.
“Sweetheart, Thank You” is a beautiful gospel number with sprinkles of Gram Parsons and a Beatlesy piano breakdown that actually works; it closes by heading back to the range slowly, lowly and soulfully. “Keep It Simple” does just what it says, and could stand as the band’s theme song for that matter. The lyrics are definitely above par for these days, and make for some enjoyable glimpses of folks and their dealings and feelings. “It Happens Fast” closes the disc with a regretful glimpse back at youthful promise misspent. It must be hard to sing for how chokingly emotional it is.
Singer Scott Peterson is proficient with both pop and “front porch” musical styles. His vocal delivery is clear and unstrained, floating between passion and resignation. Peterson’s voice, in concert with the playing of his very capable band mates, makes for a damn fine collection of songs. So, hop on that Huffy, grab some frozen stuff impaled on sticks, and rest assured that this bike ride won’t even get smokers huffing and puffing. Nope, it’s a nice long spin down a lazy grade, hair blowing back with the occasional back-pedaling on the coaster brakes to avoid the road rash wipeout. It leaves you with a tear in your eye, a smile on your face, food coloring on your tongue and, of course, sticky fingers.
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