Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Free and legal MP3 from Wiretree (power pop with vocal roots in the '70s)

"Back in Town" - Wiretree
     Brisk, spangly power pop from an Austin-based quartet. Equal parts mid-career Wilco and early (or late; who can say?) Traveling Wilburys, "Back in Town" is a friendly, xylophone-flecked burst of tunefulness, anchored in singer Kevin Peroni's pliable, evocative voice. What he sounds like, in a nutshell, is the '70s--Harry Nilsson, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne rolled up into one. Works for me.
     And if there are a few relative oldsters out there who recognize the chorus of the Indigo Girls song "Jonas & Ezekiel" in the chorus of "Back in Town," well, I'm always kind of tickled rather than irritated by inadvertent melody transference like this. First off, it's a heck of a good melody--I might dare to call it anthemic except I fear that word has been neutered by years of overuse. Second, the songs don't otherwise have anything to do with each other. I don't mind greeting an old friend in a new outfit.
     "Back in Town" is a song from the band's second full-length album, Luck, ready for release next week on their own Cobaltworks label.

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