(sometimes with:)
Krispian Schmidt-Paborn - Guitar, Harmonica, BGV
James Murdoch - Mandolin, Guitar, BGV
Chris Budnarchuk - Drums
Influences
U2 and Blue Rodeo in the 1990s, Leonard Cohen and Harry Nilsson in the 1970s, Brit Pop and US Top 40 in the 1980s, The Band and The Beatles in the 1960s, and the people I've met in the 2000s.
Nick Perreault’s debut record - The Good Intentions – is that rare premier which more closely resembles the work of a much more seasoned songwriter than a rookie. The cycle finds Perreault parsing difficult themes while treading on thin ice. His songs are often explicitly spiritual – Perreault includes a rendition of the classic 18th century hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” – but he never engages in any kind of trite, self-help sermonizing. Nor does Perreault veer to the opposite pole occupied by self-deprecating apologists such as Pedro The Lion or the bizarre spectacle of Danielson and Sufjan Stevens. He finds his ground somewhere in between all of them, begging for meekness and humility (“Injured Ignored”) while understanding that his struggle will never end (“Fire by Night”).
In some ways, The Good Intentions is a document of Perreault’s exploration into the nature of his own duality. In “The Sky Tonight” Perreault sings of being “A cynic on the left/ A zealot on the right/ Between these two positions/ I evaluate the parts/ And wait for the sun/ To wedge the two apart.” He sees similar contradictions in the Prophet/Prostitute conundrum in “Take Thine Stake”. But Perreault also recognizes the difficulty in reducing the complexity of human drama into pop songs, so he wisely chooses to keep things oblique. The resulting effect is less like reading a diary and more like listening to a poem; everyone can relate to the themes that Perreault presents. Everyone can glean some private meaning, while recognizing the larger themes as well.
This confluence of the personal and the populist is not limited to the lyric sheet, however. Perreault’s music belies a wide range of influences, perhaps best identified by his choice of the three cover songs. Belinda Carlisle’s shallow ‘80s pop smash “I Get Weak” is here turned into a plaintive paean with spiritual undertones. This is immediately followed by “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” – a hymn of longing and resignation that mirrors many of the Psalms, a mood preserved in Perreault’s arrangement. Later is the Smiths’ Queen Is Dead classic “Bigmouth Strikes Again”. In all cases, Perreault’s arrangements mix with his vocals – which fall somewhere in between Adam Duritz and Ben Folds – to transform the source material into an exceptionally expressive affectation.
The musical diversity doesn’t end there. The album opener, “Choir by Night,” is a meandering instrumental that leads directly into the pop stomp of “Injured Ignored”. Elsewhere, Perreault crafts a down-tempo intro interlude (“Em Worship Dirge”) which precedes the Manchester haze of “Daniel/le”. There’s piano ballads (“Fire by Night”), Tin Pan bounce (“Alberta Blues”), acoustic story-telling (“Marigold”), classic rock swagger (“Miles”), and a peaceful closer (“The Sky Tonight”) to cap it all off. The end result is a well-balanced, well-made, sincere record, and one that certainly merits attention.
Hey just letting you know of a sweet show this friday July 11th at Mead Hall 10940-166A Street (Behind the Mayfield Field Inn) Doors at 8pm Show at 9pm. Bands are: KINGS WITHOUT (From Vancouver Island) SCREWTAPE LEWIS (Former Sonic Band of the Month) and DAWN IN THE CITY. Come support some fellow musicians/Edmontonians, make some new friends, and have a blast. Peace.
Of course I remember. We really enjoyed seeing you perform in NYC while you were here. Hope all is well with you, too! Let us know when you're back in the Big Apple.
The return of Bionic. They just can't stay away. Friday November 30th, 2007 at the Econolodge(aka the Locker Room Pub) Downtown 10209-100 Ave It's $10, the show starts at 9pm and there are always amazing drink specials!
Come see Bionic (www.myspace.com/bionic) with Edmonton's the Get Down (www.myspace.com/thisisthegetdown) and from Vancouver A Trophy Life (www.myspace.com/atrophylife)and Johnny Good (www.myspace.com/johnnygood)
love the smiths cover! who produced it? hear you're in NYC...nice. we move to Vancouver in 1 week. Just got in touch with Manraygun - cool stuff.
Hey thanx for doing the posters for the Axis Cafe show. We do our farewell show on Aug. 10 at the Loft -too bad you're away. Anyways, we have some songs from our new EP online.
Take it easy Nick, and best of luck in the future! - cris LHS
Hey Nick. Thanks for the add, yo. See you on Wednesday. I might be a bit late because I have to run into the city in the afternoon but I'll still be there. Love the tunes! ~~Myra~~
