Linnane - The Shady Tree

  by John Clarkson

published: 16 / 9 / 2002

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'The Shady Tree' took its initial genesis in 1998 when Peter Linnane, an in-house producer and engineer at the prolific Zippah Studios in Boston, was invited by Pete Weiss, Zippah's owner, to record a track for 'A Place to Call Home', a Boston bands charity compilation CD that he was preparing. Linnane hastily put together an impromptu group, The Purple Flower Gang, in which he appeared on vocals and playing the electric guitar and concertina, and that also featured his brother, Christopher, on acoustic guitar ; Weiss on bass and a session drummer and banjo player. The outfit, which disbanded immediately afterwards, recorded for the compilation (the first album that Pennyblackmusic ever reviewed-Ed) the title song on 'The Shady Tree', a waltzing folk number which, despite its use of roots-based instruments, also had a strong and melodic pop sound. Peter Linnane shortly afterwards met and married his wife, Samantha, one of the singers with a now defunct sixties retro group, the Oscillators, and the pair three years ago formed a new band, the self-titled Linnane. Linnane's interest in merging together Americana and pop sounds has never waned, and 'The Shady Tree' album expands upon and develops further the concept of that early one-off recording. The album uses an impressive arsenal of both standard rock and more traditional instruments. Both the multi-talented Linnanes appear on vocals and acoustic and electric guitar, but 'The Shady Tree' also finds Peter successfully toying and experimenting at different points with the concertina, the piano, a pump organ, a harpsichord, a xylophone, an accordion and a vibraslap. Samantha meanwhile makes percussional appearances on the tambourine, a shaker and tree swing chimes. Brian Charles, another of the producer/engineers at Zippah, acts as a guest drummer on one track 'One Wave', while Weiss appears again on the banjo on another track 'Smile', which also features a cameo appearance on electric guitar from Peter Bruntnell, the British alt.country musician. Despite its essential poppy sound, much of the 'The Shady Tree', like the Stones 'Exile on Main Street', which Linnane has cited as a major influence, is very dark. 'The Shady Tree', for all its breeziness, is a suicide song. The reflective, but vitriolic ballad, 'A Hundred Words', with soft stabs of organ and piano, tells of a love gone sour. "I spent yesterday wishing the rain would just kill you" sings Linnane with bittersweet viciousness. "But it's alright/You lie yourself to sleep every night." 'Today Always', despite a jolly tune, and throwing an accordion solo and a xylophone into its mix, meanwhile lyrically hints at at some awful impending disaster, while the final track 'Take the Scarecrow Down', spookily making use of the pump organ, is a foreboding and sinister-sounding instrumental. Yet, for a young couple recently married, it is all thankfully not negative and bleak. The charming, comical 'Smile has a blundering, but vulnerable Linnane desperately trying to woo his bride. 'A Perfect Lullaby', which features Samantha on lead vocals, is exactly, as its title implies, the sweetest and most gentlest of spirituals, while 'A Chance on the Moon', with Weiss again on clopping banjo, is a rumbustious happy-go-lucky love song. 'The Shady Tree' has been well worth the long wait. Compelling and enthralling, it seemingly effortlessly dares to be different, and, making inventive use of its instrumentation, boldly bridges the gap between alternative country and pop. With a second album, written in contrast largely on computer, due out early next year, Linnane are a most exciting option.

Track Listing:-

1 The Shady Tree
2 A Hundred Words
3 One Wave
4 Smile
5 Trampoline
6 A Perfect Lullaby
7 Today Always
8 To Your Stars
9 A Chance on the Moon
10 Like a Train
11 Take the Scarecrow Down

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