Paleface
(Ramseur)
While the tellingly titled One Big Party may be Paleface's most embellished effort yet - relatively speaking -- it finds him sacrificing none of the freewheeling spontaneity that defined his two earlier offerings. Indeed, as far as descriptive album titles are concerned, this one nails it completely, thanks to the loosely hemmed melodies, the sing-along choruses and the wobbly vocals that sound deliberately out of kilter and yet celebratory at the same time. Like labelmates the Avett Brothers, Paleface pushes the parameters, whether whooping it up on the brassy hoedown "U Gotta Move On" or vamping his way through the ramshackle shuffles "Understand the Man" and "Rock N Roll." "She's so rock ‘n' roll," he declares on the freewheeling "She's So," but he might just as well be describing himself.
Indulging their eccentric streak, Paleface and constant collaborator Monica "Mo" Samalot don't attempt to tidy up when things get frayed around the edges. The wayward honkytonk of "SUWTSGD" (short for "See You When The Sun Goes Down") and the lethargic homespun duet "I Wanna Travel" suggest a mellower mindset, but the casual attitude still finds a nice fit with the pair's ragged romps. Consequently, everything about this One Big Party suggests one damn good time.
DOWNLOAD: "U Will Get What U Want," "I Wanna Travel." LEE ZIMMERMAN
