Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

With an emphasis on the fact that John Moen from The Decemberists frontlines,  In Music We Trust Records has released their quote, “quirky, catchy, hook-laden indie-pop” self-titled album, Perhapst.  In actuality, Perhapst is a far cry from the well liked music produced by The Decemberists and with all due respect, this album is a bit of a let down.

Nothing from Perhapst stands out to me as new or original and while the album claims to have all the catchiness that we love in an indie album, I had a hard time finding it.  The majority of the tracks sound like filler music, the kind of stuff a band throws into an album when they’ve only got one hit but need to meet their 11-track quota.  Unfortunately that one winning track isn’t there to begin with.

I can see where Moen is trying to go with his wanna-be thought provoking lyrics, but the high-pitched vocals and unexciting instrumentals leave his album lacking.  The music sounds like something that may have had more success in the 60s or 70s when people strung out on acid may have enjoyed this album’s ‘trippy’ feel, but in terms of modern indie or indie-pop, this album is way off base.

If I had to pick a favorite from the album (which I do) I’d go with Incense Cone. The lyrics, which include the retro-style, “Sha do, ahhh, Sha do, ahhh…” are a little confusing but the track overall is decent. The song is mellow and calming but definitely not any kind of chart-topper.

Overall, this album is not what I had expected.  I’ve heard worse, but at the same time, I’ve definitely heard better.  Don’t be fooled by the record’s insistence that this album is hooky and indie, because it really isn’t.  I want to say that I’m looking forward to the next album and a chance at a better line up, but after 40 minutes of Moen’s voice, the only thing I’m looking forward to is a cocktail.