My introduction to Adam Pierce's Mice Parade came by way of the previous album, Obrigado Saudade. I played that album to death; it is a lush, well-paced work that everyone ought to hear. I feel the same way about this new effort. Yes, there are moments that feel derivative; echoes of Brian Eno in "Waterslide", and gestures toward the Sea and Cake and Tortoise on several tracks. But that doesn't detract from the music, in fact it provides a sort of reference point as Pierce drifts off toward melodies and instruments that tend to be broadly lumped under the term "world music". (Note: "World Music" is a record store invention, a catch-all for anything that doesn't fit into the narrow American musi-cultural schema. But I'll use the term, acknowledging that I don't know enough about the music of other cultures to precisely define where a sound originates; I could probably guess with some accuracy but anyone with an ounce of background more than I have would quickly see through it. Anyway...) This is an album that meshes with the world around it; if you play it during a rainstorm the pitter pat will blend in nicely; play it in the midst of relative silence and it will hold up just as well.
Pitchfork gave this album a middling score, mostly on the basis that the vocals detract from the music and seem tacked on; I don't agree. CMJ is a bit more kind.
Overall, this is a solid effort and a rewarding listen.
Rating: full house.
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