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St. Lous Pop Culture
April 2004
Maggi, Pierce and
E.J.: Gold (EMP Records)
Maggi, Pierce and E. J., a musical threesome based in
Philadelphia, are a singular musical entity not easily compared to anyone
else. Certainly no single adjective can possibly convey the uniqueness of
their sound. So let�s begin this review by listing a whole bunch of
descriptors that could apply to various aspects of MPE�s musical rainbow (as
epitomized by their fifth color-coded release, Gold): gregarious, inclusive,
whimsical, charming, psychedelicate, organic, fat-free, effervescent,
unpredictable, neighborly, fizzy, wide-eyed, folksy, energized, propulsive,
sweet, celebratory, multi-purpose, wry, therapeutic, uplifting, unzipped,
stir-fried, ineffable, focused, touching, rib-tickling, unselfish, inspired,
musically freewheeling. And unforgettable.
On their press release, the group themselves refer to their
sound as �down-home farm-city junk music,� although there�s nothing �junky�
about the sound they make, and rather a lot to treasure. How these two guys
and one gal came to create such a delightful musical concoction is something
to learn more about on their Web site, www.mpeband.com, but quite simply, a
continuously high level of musical energy combined with constant touring and
equal measures of heart and humor in all they undertake has solidified the
appeal of this group for an increasing number of fans both domestically and,
more recently, overseas. Maggi, Pierce and E.J. are the proverbial one in a
million. The Gold album (not the actual title; colors identify this group�s
recordings, and only their previous album, the Jeff Buckley�inspired For, bore
a title) is an absolute delight, and capitalizes on the group�s every
strength: the ability of all three members to play all instruments (in
concert, their ongoing tradeoffs are thoroughly entertaining), outstanding
songwriting, tight harmonies, and an uncanny ability to create a sort of
spirit-cleansing Zen flow with their alternating of light-hearted tunes with
richly poignant, contemplative ones.
Then there�s Maggi�s voice. While Pierce and E.J. possess
perfectly fine vocal chords, Maggi is in a class by herself. She always sounds
likes she�s on her first day of feeling great again after suffering a
cold�there�s just a hint of nasality in her voice that is positively
endearing. Combined with an unusual degree of tonal warmth and a serene sort
of femininity, the effect conveyed to the listener is one of gratitude. Yep,
Maggi just sounds real grateful to be singing, performing and getting to do
what she does, and this makes the listener grateful in return. It�s hard to
imagine any listener not feeling grateful for the melodic lilt of album opener
�Flame� (which has a peerless acoustic arrangement adorned by a little
trumpet); the irresistibly straightforward invitation in �Visit Me� (�I want
you to come/I�ll take you to the sun drenched meadows/Splashed with violet/We
two shall sit by the pond/And watch the still water run/I want you to
come/Visit me�) set to a sparse but lovely arrangement; and the utterly
exquisite �In Your Hand,� one of Maggi�s most breathlessly beautiful recorded
moments. No amount of technical ability or rehearsing can explain the organic
splendor of the vocal here, especially combined with the delicate harmonies.
This is clearly heartfelt emotion capped by a bit of magic, as Maggi sings �I
could write about dandelions/Blowing in a field/Or 1,000 starry fireflies/On a
warm nite in June/Or the graceful way you grow my love/With time, with time��
Rapturous music, by any standard.
Elsewhere on the record, there are thrillingly unpredictable
moments such as Scott Young�s �Jaded,� an old-fashioned bit of mandolin and
tuba-laden swing/blues on which E.J. gets to rhyme almost every conceivable
word with �jaded� (�When I first met her, I was elated/When I held her hand,
romantic words were traded/But our love faded/Disintegrated/And now I�m
jaded�). Mary Tyler Moore and Doris Day are name-dropped in hilarious fashion,
as Maggi comes out of the background singing �You�re gonna make it after all.�
On �The Coffee Song,� a finger-snappin� tickler which may be one of the first
songs to blend coffee drinking with sexual double-entendres, the trio�s
playful exuberance is palpable�they dig into the jazzy, sassy harmonies with
relish. And E.J.�s bass playing is a gas, man. Just try not to smile here. Or
not to tap your foot during �Fate Train,� a rollicking tune (and a staple of
their live sets) that proves MPE can do pumped-up alt country in their own
invigorating manner. They actually offer a more straightforward country tune
on �Memphis,� though Pierce�s unexpected whistling and the slightly off-kilter
harmonies still claim this as part of MPE�s unique neighborhood.
No genre is beyond these crazy kids, truly. Late in the album,
the level of poignancy rises to an almost tear-inducing level. �Dear
Grandfather� is an unabashedly sentimental ode to its title figure, with E.J.
plaintively singing �If you were there today, I�d come by, say hi/Have a sit
and then we�d go outside/Sing a song, have a laugh/Share a drink and maybe
sleep a bit�� Enthralling harmonies in later verses are a bit reminiscent of
The Roches, another trio with an amazing Maggi. The credits on this tune
include oboe and �singing saw,� evidence of the group�s fondness for
unpredictable musical flourishes. Maggi shines again on the acoustic
guitar-driven �Dagger,� which ascends to further greatness via subtle
harmonium, Pierce�s energetic picking and the tabla playing of Gabriel
Deadwyler. The result is a nice bit of Eastern-flavored trance music�not quite
long enough to get your whirling dervish groove on, but close. And �Porch� is
downright neighborly, y�all, with Maggi winding us down in a simple ode to
�sittin� on the porch again with my friends/writin� songs and readin�
magazines�Quite a few chores to be done/Wonderin� when our time will come/Yea
here I am sittin� on the porch again with my friends�� It�s a delightful
sing-along that features a humorous �coda� just when you think the record has
ended. Incidentally, the production on this disc is seamless; the sound
sparkles with warmth and clarity throughout. Though self-produced, a tip o�
the hat is surely due Ben Wisch, who also contributed his knob-twiddling
skills to their previous outing.
Maggi, Pierce and E.J. are one of the only groups around who
can touch your heart, tickle your funny bone and provide you with a
nutritious, low-carb musical meal all at the same time. They have a dazzling
array of talents at their disposal, and their casual grace at summoning these
at will is a wonder to behold. The trio made things very easy for music
writers by choosing Gold as the color of their new album. For this record,
probably their finest yet, is a 14-karat stunner from start to finish.
�Kevin Renick
website
www.mpeband.com
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