Piano music. For whatever reason, the piano doesn't seem to be as firmly entrenched as a rock instrument as the guitar is. However, this album demonstrates that the piano is just as valid a method of expression as any amount of overdriven and distorted guitars.
This album is a pleasant blend of Danielson-like quirky tunes and some fine piano work on more conventional tunes. However, the instrumentation is fairly conventional, so the album seems pretty 'normal' when compared to labelmates Soul Junk or Daniel Smith's projects, which, because of the label, are the natural associations.
The Singing Mechanic's lyrics touch on the joys and struggles of everyday life, from driving down a highway to excuses why people can't be bothered experiencing the life of faith. The lyrics are decent, and fit the musical package well.
The Singing Mechanic's voice is nothing spectacular, but he projects a lot of emotion into his songs, which compensates somewhat for his vocal work. If his voice were worse or better, it would perhaps be worth note, but his vocals are not spectacular.
Still, he deserves credit for being one of those rarities in the alternative rock domain, a piano-oriented songwriter. You might never have too much guitar, but this album proves a nice change from the everyday.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Ken MuellerThe Singing Mechanic is Vincent Voss, a real live mechanic who has been performing professionally for about four years, working with the likes of Damien Jurado and Pedro the Lion, but he was "discovered" by Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile) earlier this year. The two decided to work together and the end result is this disc featuring members of the Danielson Familie, as well as others from Unwed…Similar sounding releases
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