Never News: Music

Parks and Recreation - What Was She Doing on the Shore That Night?

Since Reclinerland released their second self-titled record (or, rather, since I bought my copy of Reclinerland's second self-titled record), I've been waiting for something to match the tone and honesty.

That record was straight up pop and rock songs from Mike Johnson, who has had his turns in other bands (such as Blanket Music) but who, I think, crafts his best music while doing it on his own. Every track off of that one hit and stuck with me, catching in my head and not letting go through out a whole semester of college.

2003's Ideal Home Music Library, vol. 1 had those same type of sentimental flares but was, essentially, too showtunesy for me (which makes sense, seeing as the whole concept behind the album is that the songs are forgotten showtunes). It was a bold move, a creative and gorgeous record but, all in all, didn't hit me like I wanted Reclinerland to.

When I heard that Mike was changing the name of his project (after it stopped being just him and started to be – gasp – a band) to Parks and Recreation, I sort of mourned the loss of a really cool name and embraced the concept that, for at least awhile, Mike would be writing showtunes. Why did I assume the name change would signify more showtunes? I have no idea.

I was wrong.

What Was She Doing on the Shore That Night? reverts Mike and (now) co. back to the 'good ol' days'. Or what I (and probably only I) thought were the good ol' days. Each song has the perfected pop/rock quality that Self-Titled 2 was full of, not to mention the constantly evolving Chad Crouch/Adam Selzer production ethic—make good songs sound good and true, no bullshit.

From such one-off titles as 'I Tried to Date the Singer in a Band' emerge tongue-in-cheek critiques of our times—from MSN love lives to far too self-serious people. Mike has not only succeeded in making more of those personal quips, he's also found a good standing in atmospheric writing--'A Northwest Wind' is a gritty, streaked investigation of a moment without the trappings of character or sarcasm.

Self Titled 2 was, to me, a perfect album of disconnected soundtrack songs—I wanted 'Yours' to be in a Wes Anderson flick—and, much to my happiness, 'Shore' takes that sense of mutual, well-timed emotion and binds it (if only barely) together, track to track.

posted by Colin Reed Moon @ 2:28 PM