For those who don't know much past his limited discography,
"Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead" is a sweet song off of
Hearts of Oak which got made into a 10 song EP released on Lookout! Records. Not following in typical extended play fashion, this features Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead" from the album, a solo performance by Ted of another song off of the album, and 8 songs which also feature him playing solo. Since this is
Hearts of Oak era material it would seem that this would maintain the attention to songwriting, making 8 more energetic poetic anthems to credit Leo's name and further his growing face in the crowd. What automatically hinders this release though is the preexisting context from which the material is ripped from, and while that can be put aside with the focus retaining to this EP, some of the material still doesn't measure up. On here are some great songs, but with great comes some that are not so great, either lacking in substance, energy, or they sound like a fetus farting (don't worry, only one of these songs sound like that).
There isn't much to say about the first song, so I'll say everything there is to say. It's the best track on here by a mile which would normally sink an EP, but seeing as this is the only song including the Pharmacists, it makes some sort of sense, right? The title track gets the EP off to a fast paced and rockin' start. Besides the necessary drum taps, a keyboard slide leading to the band coming alive like putting quarters in a mechanical psychic kind of jump start occurs, and like this psychic they do that they do best, putting catchniess, energy, and great lyrics all together, and as always Ted asserts himself as the ringleader.
"In the graveyard at Inchigeela/in black clothing I'll be there/my love wears black clothes and red flowers in her hair." goes the verse as the colorful images give the listener a vivid visual of the scene. After this entire band arrangement and song, the tide changes and Ted is left all by himself, electric guitar in hand and mic in front, can he do it by himself?
At the first step it seems yes, reverting back to another song on
Hearts of Oak the politically charged tune,
"The High Party" normally brings up thoughts of drinking and anti war reviews, but on this listen with the sound being so different, one can't help but focus on Leo's solo performance of the song. Obviously this version is going to be less polished, seeing as this wasn't recorded in a fancy schmancy studio, but the tone is still there and it still sounds like the song. Another big difference is in the solo, which usually switches off from guitar to keyboard, but on this effort it is all Leo who doesn't deliver all the notes in time, but still delivers all the notes. Kudos have been given once the listener realizes how different yet equal this is to the album version, in face this is much more personal since he needs not to hide behind a studio to deliver the goods. Alright so the first two tracks off the album have delivered, and in Leo fashion, so do the rest more or less.
And so begins the Ted Leo show with the tune,
"The Sword in the Stone, and from this point on with the exception of two tracks, each one features an electronic guitar and Leo's voice, so there is no more need to remark on the instruments since there is only one and vocals. Though lacking in proper instruments and people to play those, Ted still gets by with his writing techniques, using witty lines before a pedal solo which gives the song a multidimensional feeling which is awfully hard to pull off when its just one person.
"I'm not impressed with your desire to be the biggest in the bowl/You'll still just be a little shit in a world that's just a big shithole" is the line which leads into the pedal made solo which gives this song an early but done feeling which reverts into the beginning chords and the opening lines again, and then close. The other real powerful and good song from this is
"Six Months in a Leaky Boat, which clocks in at 4:39 and is the longest tune on here. What is on here is just what the title says, being in a boat with the world all around you, feeling distant, and something that sounds like a whistle section. What appears here which had been seemingly absent is the vocal improvisations that have given the hooks a sharper edge. The line of
"Dah-dah-dah-dah-ya-ah, yah-dah-dah-dah-do, yah-da-ow " completes each verse and also serves to transition it to the next, which makes the brief instrumental progressions from each set of verses seem not so long and appropriate. Of course it wouldn't be a Ted Leo album or EP without a song directly about something happening in the real world and in the United States.
"Loyal to My Sorrowful Country" accomplishes that, with straightforward words and easy listening but not light rhythm guitar leading the way. For once subtlety is actually dropped and references are made outright, such as hearing about how
"In the days when we were young, we were free, we were free/Now that Georgie's reign's begun, we won't be, we can't be". Of course since this song was recorded in 2003, three full years after Bush's taking (stealing?) of the presidency reigns, it would seem that this song would predate the real breaches of personal freedom occurring, but it would not predate the Patriot (Hateriot?) Act.
While these songs are great and all, one slip up that must be taken note of may not have went out for for musical quality, but its existence and placement here on this album is still existent. Most blatant filler tracks are there either for lack of a better song to put in its place, or lack of creativity/originality. The former is the factor in this case, as
"Decaying Artifact" serves are pure filter, sounding like a very quiet and slow electronica tune, but not even getting that designation as it goes nowhere and sounds like it is just kept in static, except not as loud as static, or having the musical quality of static. The good part about that song is that it is a lead in to
"Six Months In a Leaky Boat and that's about it really.
This EP may not top your want list unless you are either a big established Leo fan or your curiosity for his work stretches this far (if that's the case you better already have
Hearts of Oak). Its a great effort and a great work, the production was lacking and so were the Pharmacists, but the songwriting and most of the qualities are still here.
