Joe Pernice
waited three years between the first
Pernice Brothers
album, 1998's
Overcome by Happiness
, and the second, 2001's
The World Won't End
, during which he released two side-project albums filled with songs he declared weren't up to his standards for the group. And to take him at his word, in the nearly ten years after 2010's
Goodbye, Killer
, he wrote and recorded another
album only to scrap it because he didn't like how it turned out. Clearly, patience and quality control are integral parts of
Pernice
's creative process, but you can't say they don't work for him. 2019's
Spread the Feeling
may have been a long time coming, but it's a brilliant reminder that
is one of the best and most interesting pop songwriters of the 21st century, and he has a fine grasp of what makes a great record. In terms of songwriting,
is prime
, full of cleverly constructed melodies paired with lyrics that are darkly witty poison-pen observations on romantic relationships and other human interactions.
Randy Newman
once described his style as a nice sound with a nasty intent, and at his best,
hits that target just as reliably as the Minstrel of Pixar. And working with a cast of musicians comprised of
alumni (
Peyton Pinkerton
,
James Walbourne
Patrick Berkery
Bob Pernice
Ric Menck
) and new contributors (
Joshua Karp
Neko Case
, and
Pete Yorn
), this is some of the most immediate and forceful music this band has ever released, not heavy-handed but full of energy and not shy about making an impact. The guitars chime, the drums snap, and
's vocals, done up in a variety of tones of expressive suede, have been dipped in just enough honey that you aren't aware of how deep they cut until it's too late.
falls short of being a career best, but it stands proudly side by side with anything they cut after 2003's
Yours, Mine and Ours
, and if you like your pop smart, snarky, and easy to hum along with, you can hardly do much better than this. ~ Mark Deming