By Natalie Herman
http://pwradio.net/news/?p=63
“You have no idea how damn entertaining it is to be me.”
So sings Kiernan McMullan on “Stick it Out,” the opening track to his One Eleven Records debut, Perfect People Are Boring. After listening to the CD, one would have to agree.
For one of such a tender age – McMullan is days shy of his 22nd birthday - he manages to combine fun with intelligence, a feat that few artists can pull off. His extensive vocabulary and historical and pop culture references (Ghandi, The Beatles, and Johnny Quest are equally represented) combine with his self-deprecating sense of humour and unwillingness to take himself, his subject matter, or life in general too seriously. Even with his tongue-in-cheek approach, he still manages to pull off sage lyrics and astute observations.
“Cardboard Swords,” a sexy-sounding piece with great drums and captivating keyboards, is a fun-filled homage to the television series, “Venture Brothers.” Kiernan and company have compiled a fitting video from home-movie footage showing the band through everything from setting up and performing to life on the road and how they amuse themselves during downtime. This song, like many on the disc, just begs to be played on “repeat.”
All isn’t fun and games, however; McMullan shows his serious side, touching on issues such as homelessness, teenage parenthood, addiction, and domestic violence with songs such as “Pretend” and “Grace and Love.”
McMullan can lean toward stylistic similarity to Jason Mraz, especially on songs like “Fireworks” and “You’re Only Angry (When You’re Wrong).” Like Jason Mraz, though, it is obvious that McMullan is an individual whose songs mean a great deal to him.
Don’t let titles like that of the funky “Ballad of a Shallow Man” fool you – McMullan’s writings come from somewhere deep and honest. Luckily, he doesn’t let that honesty translate to self-importance, as evidenced by his directive, “If you’re going to go mad, go mad with intention.”
McMullan’s fingers seem to have been made for the strings, which he demonstrates particularly on “Little White Lie.” Anyone who has seen McMullan perform can attest that he has a fascinating way of handling his guitar. Happily, he has found himself surrounded by a group of musicians who seem equally equipped to bring the best from their instruments. The drums over the bridge of “Borderline” or the funky bass in “Do it Right” are perfect examples of what can happen when the right instrument falls in the right hands.
Recorded partially at the famous Grouse Lodge which has birthed albums from the likes of R.E.M. and Michael Jackson, this collection of songs successfully spans many genres while remaining a solid and cohesive album. One wonders if the disc perhaps has taken a bit of the magic of the studio with it.
Perfect People Are Boring, but this album is anything but!
Kiernan is currently on tour in the U.S. promoting his album. He is making his way through the eastern States before taking the stage at SXSW in Austin on March 18.
Natalie Herman provides content for Paddy-Whacked Radio™ News
Copyright © 2008 Natalie Herman and Paddy-Whacked Radio™
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