Original Pairs is a Toronto-based rock group that happily fuses folk, country, jazz, pop and psychedelia into their own unique sound. Formed in 2008, their first album was called Forbidden Fruit on Spying Dwarf Records. Their long awaited follow-up is called Natural State, which “explores the full range of the group's musical influences, wrapping them around a solid core of dark Americana.”
The four band members include Andrew Frontini (guitars/vocals), Chris Bartos (bass/pedal steel/violin/backing vocals), Lisa Logan (drums), Jon Loewen (piano/organ/Moog) and special guest Richard Underhill (saxophone). The band describes the concept of “Natural State” as “a world populated by existential seekers: everymen trying to make sense of their lives, and ultimately failing. The songs are stories, crafted by a tortured architect, then forged into an eclectic song cycle… Does it sound like anyone else? Not quite, but in the mix you might detect some mid-career Dylan, late Elvis, Ian Tyson, Nic Cave or even Gordon Lightfoot.” Recording took place at Racoon Records, with mixing by Chris Bartok and mastering by Noah Mintz at Lacuqer Channel. Limited edition vinyl also available! Normally when I first hear an album for review, I take a quick glance at the band notes, but for this collection I was away from my computer so I scribbled my notes with an analog fountain pen. I noted the lead singer’s resemblance to Bob Dylan right away, specifically mid-career Dylan (especially “Lay Lady Lay”) just as the band states. At any rate the vocals always have the “mature” quality of someone who’s been around, experienced life and lived to tell the tale. Besides Dylan, the opening track “Let It Go By” also suggests a story-song by Neil Diamond, with some of the guitar jangle of The Byrds. The recording quality isn’t razor-sharp pristine or lo-fi murky, but comfortably in the middle. “Fix It Man” leads with funky wah wah guitar, and is a song that’s about a literal “fix it” man, but the one thing he can’t fix is a broken heart: “I can’t find the parts!” A fun and engaging tune that sounds and feels like Warren Zevon at his humorous best. Jangly electric guitars fill the tune with sunshine and wonder. “Turbine” is an instrumental that changes things up a bit with an interesting “pull off” bluesy guitar technique, while introducing moody, jazzy saxophone. The structure owes a little to ZZ Top slowed way down. In contrast, “Money on a Tree” is a fast blues workout with a jumpy one-two beat and tooting saxes that makes you want to party. The crunchy electric guitar approaches Jon Spencer Blues Explosion levels of abandon. “Big Guitar” is a dark folky tune (with Gordon Lightfoot-style vocal) that really does feature big guitars: acoustics that sound like they’ve been tuned to subsonic level, along with a background fuzz sustain that surfaces for an epic conclusion. “My big guitar, it makes me happy all the time.” As someone who writes songs about guitars on almost every CD, I happily welcome another entry into the pantheon! “Running Around” is a sprightly tune that features great pedal steel and multiple guitars, paying wistful tribute to the narrator’s history of “running around” with the sad realization that it’s got to stop sometime. “The Red Bird” feels like a train song with its propulsive finger picking, distant train horn-sounding Moog, rhythmic strings and vocal chorus of “whoa, whoa, whoa…” “Bad Brother” moves into dramatic storytelling, framed by ratty, growling electric guitars. This epic story features novelistic imagery that’s not easy to shake (“And my woman did miscarry / and from the womb, the blood did flow… Oh Bad Brother, what have you done? / You know the reason that I wrote this song / I got a feeling we’ll never talk again.”) The lead singer seems to conjure the spirit of Elvis as the stakes of the song get higher. “Tall Pine Trees” has a picked opening like McCartney’s “Mother Nature’s Son” and has a structure not dissimilar to the Stone’s “Ruby Tuesday.” This song is beautiful yet carries a touch of melancholy, especially with the string section. A late favorite! “Farming Man” ends the collection with an upbeat, sprightly country-rock tune fully abreast with jangly guitars and (again) Elvis-worthy vocals. These are all great songs and I have no quibble with anything here. Check it out!
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1 Comment
Andrew Frontini
9/29/2022 12:34:08 pm
Dino Dimuro does a deep dive reviewing Natural State with lots of insight and adept musical references. Thanks Dino and Perfect Pitch for an awesome review.
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