Cpt. Bisquick - Mailman Legs

​Cpt. Bisquick

Mailman Legs
​self-released; 2022

TOP ALBUM

By Matt Jensen

It was a couple years back that we reviewed the EP Club Zoo from Cpt. Bisquick aka Graham Albright. The artist is back with an album called Mailman Legs and contains basically a double album's worth of material. There are fifteen tracks total (with two acting more as an interlude).

Mailman Legs is a loose, often playful but heartfelt album. The songs are dynamic and easily fuse a number of different genres. In fact these transitions can happen multiple times per song. 

After a brief intro which sounds like an ad from the ’50s in a different dimension the album gets going with “Drinking Cup.” I was getting Andrew Bird type vibes from the vocals and the light quality to the music. In this song alone there’s so much to appreciate than just the normal things like a catchy vocal melody. The psychedelic guitar solo before the two-minute mark for brief seconds momentarily turns into heavy metal. I’m not sure how but it sounded seamless. Very cool with subtle complexity that moves so fast you might not notice.

“Zilch, Forever” showcases more of the exceptional technical skills. The song not only avoids 4/4 time but changes BPM on a dime without sounding forced. There’s a Bossa nova quality to the song but Albright turns it on his head. 

David Bryne is an exceptional musician from the band Talking Heads but it’s also the name of the fourth track on the album. It doesn't sound too much like Talking Heads but has a lot of other redeeming qualities. The juxtaposition between different dynamic energy and the other styles continues to impress. The violin or fiddle they use sounds fantastic.

The inventive and unique approach continues with “Leave, Party, Leave.” Within the first thirty seconds I was wowed by how the instrumentation coalesced and transformed. This was the first time the band Ween came to mind, which actually is a band that does something similar. 

The album continues with truly diverse songs that mesh genres in some of the most seamless ways since Beck. Some of the highlights include “My Moody Ragtime” which contains some serene and warm melodies combined with some of the memorable vocals. 

“Smile, Mood, Smile” is more lush and intimate and those Andrew Bird vibes come back. There’s even some French in the song and a throwback to ’50s pop harmonies while creating a playful and light quality.

“Paul Rudd Type #2” made me laugh but was just another example of songs that can change in an instant without sounding forced. The tail end of the album doesn't lack either. One of the highlights was “Algeron” but the closer “Lapdog” rocks out perhaps harder than any of the other songs.

​The amount of music they fit into this album is incredible. Albright is able to do this without a tinge of pretense. This is an album that truly meshes genres in a very real way and one listening experience that shouldn’t be passive. Take your time with this one because there's something to explore. Highly recommended.

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