 Will
Simmons
"Him with His Head in His Hands" 7"
Unread
Records
Genres: indie pop, diy pop, folk-pop
Unread
PO Box 3462
Omaha, NE 68103
Apr 7 - 13 2003 |
It's
a funny world we live in where all the good pop music isn't popular at
all. But that's reality for you. Always looking for
perfectly good artists to screw over. If you're ever going to
become popular for your art, well, you're going to have to wait until
you've been dead for a few years. Don't worry, it's not that
hard. You'll live. Oh wait, you won't.
But I digress. The six tunes on Will Simmons' Him
with His Head in His Hands 7" are all delightfully sparse,
personal pop gems with only guitar and vocals responsible for the
sound (except for "For Vollis Simpson," which is based on a
jazz sample.)
"Happy Birthday Cake For Kevin" is a short, cute ditty
with a simple melody that will surely plant a smile on your
face. "Praying For Pittsburgh" is that type of genius
pop tune that gets you humming obediently as a tear forms in the corner
of your eye. "Self Portrait (Him with His Head in His
Hands)," meanwhile, is a skillfully-executed pop number with
sparse, yet complete acoustic guitar instrumentation. "First
Glimpse of the Day" is the album's only instrumental, yet it
doesn't spare Simmons' persistent tunefulness. The
other two tracks, "One Man To Know" and "For Vollis
Simpson" are also excellent tracks, the former a hummable pop
tune, the latter based on a jazz sample by Margot Leverett.
Simmons' personal, confronting style is soberingly beautiful
- his simple guitar-and-vocal arrangements will make you want to smile
and weep at the same time. He has a way with melody, and
each track on this 7" is instantly accessible. The
four-track recording works perfectly with his simple arrangements,
making this a pleasingly lo-fi artifact. The only problem, as is
the case with so many seven-inchers, is that it's too bloody
short. I want more!
Only a 500 of these babies have been made, so snatch up a copy of Him
with His Head in His Hands while you still can. Trust me, you won't
regret it.
89%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
11 songs, distributed by the
label, released 2002] |
