Influential guitarist, singer, and songwriter Marty Willson-Piper has had a distinguished career, spanning over twenty years, as a member of the iconic Australian rock band The Church. In addition to his work with The Church, All About Eve, The Saints, and Noctorum, he has released several studio and live solo albums. His most recent album, Nightjar, has recently been released in the States through Heyday Records and on In Deep Recordings in Australia.
Recorded at the VIP Lounge in England, Nightjar was produced by longtime friend, collaborator and fellow Noctorum member Dare Mason. The album also features The Mood Maiden’s Tiare Helberg on vocals. In the same vein as Broken Social Scener Feist’s solo releases, Marty Willson-Piper has used his solo recordings to explore new musical territory outside his work with the Church. Through this process he has expanded his sound beyond the boundaries of any one musical genre. Nightjar is a continuation of this musical exploration. Like many of his previous solo albums, Nightjar weaves together Willson-Piper’s melodic guitar rhythms, poetic lyrics, and harmonious vocals into a collection of aurally pleasing songs.
The album’s opening track “No One there” opens with a building drum beat which leads to Wilson-Piper’s signature twelve string Takamine guitar and Rickenbacker six string sound. The song, like many of The Church’s openers, builds to a peak with its swirling guitars, and is a perfect segway into the album. The opening track also sets the stage for the rest of Nightjar by displaying a fullness in sound as layered guitars provide a perfect backdrop to Wilson-Piper’s emotive vocals. Sonically, the opening track is just the beginning of the musical journey through the ten tracks on the album. Throughout the release, Willson-Piper’s guitar work is interlaced with a myriad of other sounds including strings, piano and cleverly placed choruses. Tracks such as “More is Less” and “Lullaby for The Lonely” are rich songs in which the guitars are skillfully intertwined with strings, piano and brass. The track “A Game For Losers” has a folksy Parisian feel with accordion and trumpet added to the mix, while the studio version of the previously released live track “Song for Victor Jara” is comprised of a classic guitar riff that is layered with a bamboo whistle interlude mid song.
While known for his guitar work by many, on Nightjar, Marty Willson Piper also displays his adept singing ability and songwriting skills. Throughout the album, Willson-Piper’s words flow effortlessly to the music through his vocal inflections and wide vocal range. Whether it be with his early singles with the Church or his previous solo releases, Marty Willson-Piper’s literary and poetic interests have always been transferred to his songwriting. On Nightjar, Marty Willson-Piper’s writing style remains solidly intact while his singing is as strong as ever. In addition to this, Tiare Helberg’s angelic vocals which are featured throughout Nightjar, mesh perfectly with Willson-Piper's. This is most noticeable on the standout tracks “Lullaby for The Lonely” and “I Must Have Fallen”. “Lullaby for The Lonely”, a fan favorite on the current tour and MySpace, is the perfect choice for a single in that it encapsulates many elements of the album into one song. On this track like many, Marty Willson-Piper hits the emotional chord in all of us as the song ends with Willson-Piper singing “Can’t you feel yourself falling apart” over the closing chorus.
“Standing there unaware/Your neck bare yellow hair/I already adore you” sings Wilson-Piper on the track “I Must Have Fallen”, a touching ballad reminiscent of previous fan favorite “Forever” from Marty Willson-Piper’s 1989 release Rhyme. With the song’s meticulously arranged violins, Helberg’s serene backing vocals, and Willson-Piper’s charismatic singing, Willson-Piper and Helberg team up to sing one of the most beautiful songs released in recent memory.
Lyrically, Nightjar like his previous releases covers everything from love and loss to politics and self-realization. “I’d rather die then kneel in the sand” sings Willson-Piper on “Song for Victor Jara”, his tribute to the Chilean folk singer and activist. The track “Feed Your Mind” is perhaps the one of the catchiest songs of the year and tells an amusing tale of a Parisian bar dweller who ends up in the hospital with the lights off as Willson-Piper sings “And nobody remembers who is missing from the corner/But if I were you I’d listen when the light comes on to warn you/You better have a life/You gotta feed your mind.”
Musically, it is difficult and essentially inaccurate to pigeonhole the songs on Nightjar into one genre. Tracks such as the aforementioned “Feed Your Mind” and “Lullaby for The Lonely” are pure pop gems, while later tracks such as “The Love You Never Had”, “Song for Victor Jara”, and “More is Less”, favor the folk side of Wilson-Piper’s repertoire. Indie rock fans will be attracted by the Church flavored tracks “No One There” and “High Down”.
On Nightjar, Marty Willson-Piper, unlike many musicians today, does not concern himself with stereotypical musical genres or predetermined notions of the mainstream’s wants. Instead, much like a painter starts with a blank canvas and adds textures and various media, Willson-Piper weaves together layers of sounds, thoughtful lyrics and harmonious vocals to put together a wonderful collection of songs and in the process creates one of the best releases so far this year. After over twenty years of making seminal music and creating a wide discography of hits, on Nightjar, Marty Willson-Piper still manages to put out a fresh new album that will satisfy longtime fans and hopefully gains some new converts as well.
Marty Willson-Piper and the Mood Maidens are currently touring the US in support of Nightjar. Nightjar is available through Heyday Records.
Questions? Comments? E-mail me at smohapatra@insidestl.com
Links:
http://www.martywillsonpiper.net
http://www.heyday.com
http://www.thechurchband.com
http://www.myspace.com/theelectricmoodmaidens