Sean Kirkpatrick, former guitarist for the rock band Colour Revolt, is back in a grand way with his project Greater Pyrenees. Greater Pyrenees, signed to indie luminary label Fat Possum Records, feel right at home at a label that has released LPs for bands such as The Felice Brothers and Band of Horses. Following up their debut album Plunder, Beg and Curse, the recently released self-titled undertaking by Greater Pyrenees confirms that Kirkpatrick is here to stay. With mellowed-out folk-pop acoustic tracks that contain a melting pot of influences that range from acts such as Pavement, Van Morrison, and Sharon Van Etten, this is a glowing second release for Kirkpatrick’s latest project. ??
Songs such as “Noise (Near Miss)” are cultivated with acoustic guitar chords, a soft drum pattern and Kirkpatrick’s radiant vocal prowess. Sean Kirkpatrick’s songwriting ability is ubiquitous throughout the album. Yet, his aptitudes shine brightest on the smoother, silkier tracks such as “Close” and “Biographer”, the latter being one of the stronger songs on the LP. For a project that according to Kirkpatrick has been “years in the making,” the determination and firmness in the delivery in most of these tracks makes the majority of the songs feel fresh and crisp. Amazingly, none of the tracks feel overshadowed by other songs from the album; every melody stands out in its unique way.
Despite the fact that the album that is very well put together, there are a few shortcomings on it as well. Sometimes Kirkpatrick’s lyrics can seem a bit preachy and leave a feeling of déjà vu for fans of ‘90s and ‘00s indie rock. However, despite the sensation, the album overall still feels very innovative and groundbreaking, and these sporadic moments are definitely not the primary emotion that one feels when listening to Greater Pyrenees.
Greater Pyrenees is an album that definitely relies on the old adage “less is more.” With the organic production techniques used on this record, this is not an album that is overflowing with a mess of Pro Tools effects. Instead, Kirkpatrick seems to believe that the less instruments and production that is involved, the better the album sounds. This practice has worked well for many musicians across the past few decades, and definitely the technique hits its mark for the majority of this album. The rare time that an element that doesn’t make any sense in a song, (notably the electronic drum clap in “Biographer”), the songwriting and other rudiments completely triumph over this. It is clear that writing acoustic melodies and harmonies coupled with amazing lyrical content is something of a gift that Kirkpatrick has, and these ten tracks on this album are his chef-d’oeuvre.