I’m certainly happy I got into Peter Broderick when I did –
if I had gotten into him earlier the wait for his new album would’ve been
excruciating, any later and I might’ve missed actually listening to his whole
catalog before the new album. His first proper vocal album since 2008’s Home, http://itstartshear.com (yes that’s the name
of the album as well as Broderick’s interactive album website) might very well
be his most touchingly personal.
http://www.itstartshear.com
expands on the various skill developed through Broderick other releases – takes
Broderick’s compositional talents and uses them to create some of the most
beautiful engaging arrangements, takes Broderick’s experimentation with
technology and adds in effects when best employed for maximum effect. His
latest album is without a doubt his most personal – featuring a song written by
his father, an elegy for a deceased musical hero/mentor, through listening to
the album (and also checking out the notes on the website) you learn far more
about Broderick than you might in conversation or an interview. In an ironic
twist, Broderick’s vocal album begins with about three minutes of instrumentals
before he even utters his first word which is subsequently “I Am Piano” – a play
on both its common meaning (the instrument which accompanies the song) and its
musical definition (soft, subdued). “A Tribute to Our Letter Writing Days”
details Broderick’s letter writing escapades with a friend/ex-lover using a
repetitive “send a letter” to show the back and forth of their letter writing
and featuring Peter’s sister Heather Woods Broderick adding some delicate
female vocals that engage in the musical tug-of-war. Broderick then closes out
the song from the point of view of the letter which has its own wants.
One of Peter Broderick’s friends Jana commented that his
music isn’t edgy enough (which he addresses in the song “Bad Words”) and that
might very well be true. Broderick’s music is never harsh or unpleasing, never
offensive or grating but in lieu of that, Broderick’s music is always engaging:
beautifully presented, artfully composed, and offhandedly revealing. Through
Broderick’s music, and http://www.itstartshear.com
in particular, you really get the sense
that you are getting to know someone – a musical conversation where Broderick
reveals small tidbits of information about himself in exchange for your
careful, unintrusive listening. Broderick might come off as the polite,
nonconfrontational sort which might very well be true of the man’s personality
but if you take the time to listen, you’re rewarded with eclectic blend of
brilliantly crafted music, unexpected tension and release (“Asleep”) and occasional possibly unintended humor (“Bad
Words”, “Asleep”). Each track consists
of something highlight-worthy which is exactly what you need in an album like
this – Broderick’s songs are crafted with exceptional love and care that result
in some of the loveliest enriching musical experiences. http://www.itstartshear.com might very well be Peter Broderick’s best
album to date toeing the appropriate line of emotional revealing
singer/songwriter lyricism, elegant composition, and music written for music’s
sake that manages to create a well-rounded album you’ll have trouble putting
down.
You can listen to Peter Broderick's new album http:www.itstartshear.com on his interactive website, the title automatically links to. Also on Spotify.
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