Moxy by the peck

These days, folk-rock crooners are a dime-a-dozen, as folkies have long since learned to go electric, and Bruce Cockburn and Matthew Sweet have inspired many aspiring young songwriters. Most new releases simply confirm the truism that there are a million bad songs waiting to be written, but actually a few good ones too. This truism is fulfilled on singer Danny Peck's new self-titled releases. Full of original songs, Danny Peck begins his album by sounding like Michael Penn imitating Peter Gabriel, and ends up sounding like Jeffrey Gaines imitating Sting. If this seems like a nonsensical collection of eclectic styles, you're right. The main problem is that Peck cannot pull one distinctive strength out of all this diversity of attempts.

Peck opens with a very pretty Gabriel-esque tune, "Lover." He sounds a bit like Pete, and breathes the lyrics with the same sense of urgency Many of the chord progressions and vocal shouts also sound like something from Gabriel's So. But add in some folksy guitar strums molded into a synth line, and the intensity loses out to a studio-induced banal sheen. This recurs on almost all of the tunes, for Peck's voice cannot seem to outsing the acoustic guitar and keyboard arrangements backing him. His voice tends to be too flat, lacking the depth that characterizes peter Gabriel. In fact, on the minute-and-a half a cappella "Wake Up Call," Peck almost falls flat without the backing music; it is a honest and valiant effort, but not strong enough to make anyone want to jump out of bed, musically speaking.

It is not clear what inspires Peck's musical eclecticism, and how he imagines it to all hold together. Adding a polished studio saxophone wail to a folk guitar song does nothing but bewilder the listener, as does a tune like "Strange Weather," with its hip jazz shimmy that sounds like it belongs on Sting's last album. Add in a trumpet solo (as Peck does on many tunes), a walking bass and sampled strings, and you have a very curious tune. It has the same value as the likes of buster Pointdexter or Thomas Dolby, minus the better arrangements, interesting voices, and performer personalities. Which brings us to yet another problem: Peck's songs and singing don't really reveal much about his personality, which makes them appealing pop radio fodder, but not much else.

The surest sign that Peck has little to say is evident in his tendency to repeat boring phrases over and over again in his tunes. On the banal folk-rock tune "Any Way I Can," he actually sings the words "Any Way I Can" 15 times in a row. Peck then sings, "Yes I pay my dues/get drunk and sing the blues/have nothing left to lose." It is obvious that Peck has not fully paid his dues yet, nor has he really played the blues. If he truly has nothing left to lose, then all of his talent has disappeared with the alcohol, for he gives us little that is exceptional in his music.

The idea of folk-pop eclecticism is brought to delicious fruition in the new release from the playful Toronto band Moxy Fruvous. Make no mistake, Bargainville is a true bargain Whereas Danny Peck uses many different styles and instruments to produce a weak sound, Moxy Fruvous gets a tremendously impressive sound from only a few instruments. These four guys combine excellent a cappella four part harmonies with acoustic guitar, accordion, snare drum and hand percussion. Imagine They Might Be Giants mixed with all-acoustic Phish, then add in a touch of Harvard Din and Tonics. All in all, it's not a bad mix.

Bargainville opens with the catchy tune, River Valley." The strumming guitar rhythms provide the foundation, and the meaty, complex vocal harmonies coast along above as a cushion for the solid pop vocal of lead singer Mike Ford. The lyrics are a bit on the trite side, as Ford sings, "Me and Pete went swimming last night/ he's my friend from Boy Scouts/All the fish were floating uptight/we got scared and we got out... Who will save the river valley?" Yes, it borders on ecoconsciousness-raising music, but these guys do not take themselves that seriously. There is a naivete in the way the melodies are sung, which can translate into a sing-song-y ambience, but things never get boring. Moxy Fruvous mixes things up, offering a funny song about a poor guy whose girlfriend says, "Hon drop dead, I'd rather go to bed/with Gabriel Garcia Marquez.' Cuddle up with William S. Burroughs, Leave on the light for bell hooks." There's also an ode to the e-z recliner chair, "The Lazy Boy," and a cover the "Spiderman" song. These guys even top the diversity of Phish, with a song about Morpheus, Greek god of sleep--in French no less.

Musically, this is simple but very effective instrumentation. Moxy Fruvous' talent lies in its swelling voices, reminiscent of Jellyfish. The acoustic guitar playing is very tasteful, and the percussion adds an oomph to the faster tunes without destroying the acoustic feel. They even treat listeners to an accordion solo on the tune "B.J. Don't Cry."

Moxy Fruvous is a very intelligent outfit. This album takes many chances, and will not appeal to everyone's ear for folk-pop. They are much more than an acoustic Phish, let it be clear. Their excellent arrangements, not to mention the cleverly-written tunes, stand out, as do the sharp, strong vocals. Stay tuned for more visits to the environs of Bargainville.