M Ross Perkins - What's The Matter, M Ross?

 

After the slightly embarassing self congratulatory 2 million celebrations, it is back to catching up on the backlog of album reviews that we want you to hear about. Who better to start the avalanche than the wonderful M Ross Perkins.

Perkins has the knack of hiding lyrically dept self confessions into great Pop songs. This is his third outing and he is calmly asserting one of the great Pop Singer Songwriters around. Very 60s in vine and Jngling wherever possible.

His last album, E Pluribus M Ross was and still is sensational. It hit our Best 100 albums of 2022, you can read my review here. His third outing feels a little more mellow than the second, but it is stacked high with great great Guitar Pop.

There are also four interupting interludes that break up the album. Recorded old outside segments enquiring What's The Matter With? All unrelated to Perkins, sort of like Frontier Psychiatrist. They should Hittite, but instead drag you in.

These are in complete contrast that the 60s Melodic Pop that surround them. There are diversions of course across the15 tracks. A Date For One is Acoustic and a little Simon and Garfunkel. That's Fine is very West Coast, almost Country, Rock.

Bouquet is a splendidly put together affair, edging into Psych Pop, but covering multi genres, all in just over two minutes. But it the Pop that enthrals most. The jangling Merseybeat of Hey Man/Hey Self, The Beatles 1964 vibe of Gone (In The Morning).

The Byrds like, Crying In My Sleep even gets a little Jeff Lynne. The UK Beat of Spiritual Kick with its Lennon like vocal and there is even an almost Bossa Nova easy listening smoothness to I Feel So Numb. The whole album has the feel of a musician who knows what he wants to achieve and M Ross Perkins does that and more.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2022 : 71-80

This year, the standard has been the highest since IDHAS began six and a half years ago. Narrowing things down to this 100 as been really difficult. For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album. 

A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. 

No 71 : Blunt Bangs - Proper Smoker     IDHAS Review

No 72 : M Ross Perkins - E Pluribus M Ross        IDHAS Review





No73 : Bedroom Eyes - Sisyphus Rock        IDHAS Review





No 74 : Mad Rollers - Get Mad           IDHAS Review

No 75 : More Kicks - Punch Drunk       IDHAS Review

                

No 76 : Melon Soda - Melon Soda     IDHAS Review





No 77 : Superchunk - Wild Loneliness    IDHAS Review

No 78 :  The Fernweh - Torschlusspanik!     IDHAS Review





No 79 : Static In Verona - Maybe Mayhem      IDHAS Review

 


No 80 : The Flashpot Moments - Very Far     IDHAS Review

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M Ross Perkins - E Pluribus M Ross

 

The second (no "sophomore" allowed) album from Dayton Ohio's M Ross Perkins is a hark back to the classic Pop of the late 60s and early 70s. Perkins has an ability to make verses as catchy as the choruses, a real rarity as few do both.

Before we get to the music, the album is a testament to how good Home Recording can be. I hear a lot of home recorded stuff and it really is the good, the bad and the ugly. This isn't a criticism of some as you can be limited to the equipment and software you are using. The usual problem is the mastering which means the volume is way too low. Here is an example that could easily have been recorded in a professional recording studio. 

E Pluribus M Ross is a little GospelbeacH in places, but where it excels is in the quality of the song writing and in particular lyrically. A song like This One is a great west coast laidback pop rock affair, but the catchiness and unusual lyrics raise it far above the ordinary.

Tired Of Me has a wonderful jangle and is again as catchy as catchy can be. Mr Marble Eyes (Marbles For His Eyes) is exceptional 60's, almost Toytown, Psych Pop. It's Your Boy something that could be a little twee becomes a superb cross somewhere between Nilsson and Gilbert O'Sullivan. 

Butterscotch Revue is as great an example of what makes 70s Pop Rock so adorable and then there's Pinball Blonde which is a splendid venture into 60's Beat Psych Pop, another superb listen. Venti Gasp Inhale gets even more trippy, jangly Byrds like Psych, whilst underling the strength of Perkins's vocal.

The New American Laureate is another example of the song writing strength, a great Pop song with an ace country twang. Even the one minute long instrumental, The Clock Reads 60 Seconds From is inventive, a sort of cinematic intermission.

The closer, Funeral Of A Satellite is a brooding masterpiece. Again there are reminders of Nilsson whilst instrumentally it is very White Album. The song builds and builds, containing so much into just two minutes. Simply magnificent.

There isn't one mediocre moment amongst these 12 Tracks. I could embed any of the 12 songs, but as usual I stick to three that may vary from your own favourites. I urge you to listen to the whole album. Perkins is a lyrical genius and although it is only April, this is Album Of The Year material.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find out more about M Ross Perkins here.

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