Jeremy Messersmith
The Reluctant Graveyard
(Princess Records)
Okay, let’s start with the bad news: this is not a Star Wars album as promised. But I guess I’ll forgive him, because damn if it isn’t a great record. Messersmith’s third album is surprisingly upbeat for having the name The Reluctant Graveyard. It seems that with each album, Messersmith gets more comfortable being a musician, and it’s been wonderful to listen to how his sound has grown.
The album’s title makes me smile. Clever. I know I wouldn’t want to be a graveyard. The other thing that makes me smile his how instantly singalong-able so many of these tracks are. Just a couple of listens and you’ll be echoing “Lazy Bones” too.
Messersmith seems to have become a fan of violins as of recently; they are really quite prevalent. And while some consider strings to be generally serious-mood conveying, he uses them in a variety of ways. Every song is a little more orchestrated and full than his past albums have been. There’s even a little bit of a Beach Boys feel, especially the album’s single, “Violet!”
Messersmith’s strongest point, besides a voice that is as clear and beautiful as the morning doves one can hear during quiet sunsets out on the porch, is his gift for melody. They are familiar and innovative all at once, like an old friend who keeps coming up with brilliant new ideas.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I think Messersmith can only do good. He, um, well, hmm … If you listen closely enough, the lyrics in these songs can be a bit of a downer, so … well, who am I kidding, he can do no wrong. He even uses an Oxford comma on one of his tracks, “A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard,” a punctuation of which I have become inexplicably fond. But I think it’s obvious why I’m fond of Messersmith.
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