Published on Sep 3, 2004
Butterface… hmmm. The band-name suggests a punk outfit.
Popskull: the album-name does enough to affirm that
Butterface is definitely punk and has no special inclination
towards pop, or even liking for it. The crassly crazy album-cover
wraps up the whole mystery of what the band could be. So, even
without putting the CD inside my player I can say that Butterface
is keen to smash pop’s skull.
On the first CD-spin in my player, I hear “Letting Go,” my first
encounter with
Popskull, and Butterface itself: peppy tune with crunchy
guitar chunks, with a healthy pop-rock appeal; this is not punk,
and definitely not anti-pop. As I go deeper into the album, I find
that Butterface is not even close to what I actually thought it
could be, and I ended up telling myself, “you could judge a book by
its cover, but never judge a band by its name, or the sound of an
album by its title or cover”‘; I have learnt my lesson.
The closest I can compare the feel of this band, is to that of
The Tragically Hip or Soul Asylum.
Popskull rocks in copious amounts. It has a good taste for
grimy guitar-work and an ear for friendly distortion. It also has
an affably sunny sound, one that is more likely to be embraced by
pop-music than rock. Still, Butterface isn’t too cheesily
radio-friendly. It is fun music that can be as enjoyable if taken
seriously.
Butterface doesn’t want itself to be taken very seriously, and
the song-writing is nothing intense, and very casual. This is a
good thing, because the band sounds very natural. The album sleeve
says that the band loves “Pete’s Place,” and has a song to that
effect (called “Pete’s Place”), simplistically describing how it
loves this bar called as Pete’s Place, which is, as Jerry Rig gaily
sings, “more than just a neighborhood bar to me; it’s become
everything I ever want in a family…I am alive at Pete’s
Place.” This very un-erudite, offhand song-writing approach makes
me think of some silly, stupid and treasured nostalgic moments of
my life.
The lyrics are not the focal point of
Popskull, but the music is, especially Jerry Rig’s crispy
guitar-work. Though Jerry’s cracking vocals don’t do much more than
merely add a vocal accompaniment to the music, his hands do awfully
great job in making
Popskull as enjoyable as it is. Very much like the casual
nature of the band, the guitar-work, if not seriously intense,
makes a strong and noticeable presence throughout the album.
Jerry’s vocals are nothing special. But, along with the musical
support of Will Poncavage on the bass, Billy Dyke on the drums and
of course his own capability with the guitar, the band together do
have a pretty good effect on the moods of the songs. The great
album kick-off “Letting Go” is pretty and zippy. The album
dissident “Impatient” is all sweaty, grimy and frustrated like its
title. “Celestia” and “Give It Up” are the perfect exemplars of the
cheery nature of the album.
Popskull doesn’t have a dull moment, and there are album
favorites: “Letting Go,” “Celestia,” “Give It Up” and “Impatient.”
But, amongst all the sunshine of the album, the tender and dreamy
“Sacred Heart” and “You Need Someone” win heart at the end of the
journey through
Popskull. Singer Jerry Rig’s broken vocals add an unusually
mischievous charm to these numbers that actually demand a much less
sore singing.
Butterface’s uncomplicated, cordial and ordinary manner is its
strength.
Popskull will not provide solace to a battered soul. It will
not change lives, nor will it inspire. It is cheerful and happy. It
is like the sunshine on a bright and sunny day: enjoy its shades
and shadows in the comfort of your home, or go out and get a good
tan; it shines the same.