Paste Records
2003
Perfumed Letter
About This Album
On Perfumed Letter, his 14th album, but only his second as a solo artist not fronting the Vigilantes of Love, Bill Mallonee continues his remarkably prolific streak. While a little less rocking than the music he made with VOL, these 13 rootsy tracks with hints of psychedelia will be welcomed by his established fans, and might even win him some new ones. The twangy strum of early R.E.M. (Peter Buck produced an early Vigilantes release) is in evidence on "That Little Something," a slight love song with a melody as catchy as anything he's ever written. Mallonee seems to have spent considerable time in the studio crafting these tunes, as this album has intricate layers of multiple, often jangling guitars, keyboards, and vocals, that make the music glisten. He ups the tempo for the Tom Petty-ish "Extraordinary Girl" (think "American Girl"), but generally remains in a moodier groove. For every positive spin on love, like "Crescent Moon," where the singer relates the awkwardness of meeting his wife, there's "Wintergreen," with the lyrics "how could you walk away from this so easily," as a George Harrison-styled lead guitar provides a sad coda.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5 and 6)

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