Album Reviews

Paul Westerberg and Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys

Details

Published on Saturday, October 17 2009 22:34

Written by Bluebird

Paul Westerberg & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys.

Westerberg has been writing long enough to be able to observe, provoke and give advice to the human condition without apology. In this 6 track download, the understated release is not a casual sketch. The lyrics are Westerberg's craft in this showcase. His voice and contrasting instrumentals keep the songs accessible and pointed. "Ring around the rosary, pocket full of prose you read, ashes to ashes, we all fall in love." I've heard other fans say they needed to listen to this EP several times in order to decide it was a keeper. I agree, first listen misses the quality of the phrasing and the lyrics fly by too quickly to really be absorbed by commoners like us. Westerberg is patient with us, he knows it will all sink in ... eventually.

In Ghost On The Canvas, I think, he describes the dimensions of love. This is a beautiful song about the realms in which love can exist. "I know a place between life and death for you and me." "In between here and there, there's a place where we can go." In the end, I also think he's the ghost on the canvas, still writing for the souls of the Love Untold.

Drop Them Gloves, a straightforward classic rock tune, invites a little outgoing energy, yes. I like the harmonica. The rockin edge in the song is similar to a classic Rolling Stones tune.

In Good As The Cat, he offers the songwriter variety that we all love from any collection he produces. There's a hummable tune and it is easily accessible, yet still genius clever. Westerberg relates everyday life things to the more esoteric without you even noticing.

Love On The Wing- Wow. This is a complicated song with symbolic lyrics. A Westerberg blogger wrote that he discovered all of the birds mentioned in this song are from Minnesota. The song opens with piano, bluesy tones and quiet vocals. The layers of lyrics, the alliteration, perseveration and comparisions are phenomenal. It picks up with more instruments, but not overproduced, and the descriptions get more involved, relationships more complicated. "Lady in waiting, Man in a rush ... He's a star for which all evenings wait, you are the dusk, your feelings ache, darkness, then bring, Love on The Wing."

Gimme Little Joy. A mellow, happy track; very inviting. Breezy sounds from his guitar and the light drums start it off. I love it when Westerberg catches himself laughing. There's a mention and hint of steel guitar. Its all good.

Dangerous Boys. The stories go on ... "the dangerous boys, you mend them back together, with a little tape, and your faith. Except for that one boy – who keeps breaking like a wave. Mend them back together – send them out the door. Except for that one boy – who keeps crashing at your shore." Hidden in the quick tempo phrasing, with almost a country vibe, he confronts more relational ghosts. 

He's the wise sage with the guts to call it out - right now.