Audio CD review:
The Pernice Brothers - Yours, Mine & Ours

The Pernice Brothers - Yours, Mine & Ours

Band: The Pernice Brothers Title: Yours, Mine & Ours Rating: Release Date: 20 May, 2003 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: The Weakest Shade Of Blue 2: Water Ban 3: One Foot In The Grave 4: Baby In Two 5: Blinded By The Stars 6: Waiting For The Universe 7: Judy 8: Sometimes I Remember 9: How To Live Alone 10: Number Two

Editoral Review Former Scud Mountain Boy Joe Pernice has demonstrated that he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as such the masters of the field as Scott Walker, Stephen Merritt, and Morrissey. Some artists spend their entire careers exploring the tension between gorgeous melodies and depressing lyrics. On his first seven albums, Pernice crafted lovely, dark, and often funny pop- and country-tinged ballads with choruses like "I hate my life. " He made videos where his band rescues Death from the side of the road, then plays Frisbee with him. But on his eighth album, Pernice allows something very strange to creep into his music: joy. "Won't you come unbury me" he sings on the power-pop opener, "Weakest Shade of Blue. " No, he hasn't suddenly morphed into Christopher Cross (there is that chanting chorus of "Cut the baby in two"), but this is largely a happy album. The backing musicians, meanwhile, have discovered an adventurous meeting place between the Smiths' guitar-driven anthems, the Zombies' vocally intricate garage-pop, and melt-in-your-mouth '70s Quaalude rock. --Mike McGonigal .. You can see a complete list of all The Pernice Brothers discography, or go back to the The Pernice Brothers tabs