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Fufkin, Mike Bennett, July, 2004 timewellspent (Parasol) parasol.com This band is well named. The phrase ‘time well spent' is indicative of things that have already happened, which often means reflection is in order. When you are not specifically in the present, you are then evoking the past. And this record is evokes both sensations of great music of the past, but evokes a wide range of sensations in the present. Putting aside the music itself, this record is so much about mood. Some of the best pop music manages to mix intimacy with a grander sense of scale. I suppose Pet Sounds is the premiere example of this blend (or is it a tension?). The music is large and layered. However, the vocals and the laconic, precise lyrics are direct and oh so human. The cover is blue hued, which is the only way this could have been packaged. Casey Fundaro and Christopher Moll are the duo behind this record, with help from various musicians. Moll produces the record and Thom Monahan of Pernice Brothers mixed the record. Getting the sound right was clearly a priority. Moll plays a lengthy list of instruments, and a lot of good decisions were made here as to when space needed to be created, what needed to be emphasized, and so forth. The softer side of ‘60s pop provides the obvious foundation for the collection. Only in a few instances can you point out a specific point of inspiration. Only on "Probably" is the debt made 100% obvious, with its Bacharach-inspired intro a perfect lead-in to this mild bossa nova tune. This track is a good example of the timewellspent working method. As the second verse begins, more instruments get added. Bells and vibes double up or work in sympathy with the central piano part, and then when the chorus hits, the Bacharach part is reintroduced. The song even ends with a nice touch, as a burst of Hammond organ subtly plays during the fade. A Farfisa organ begins my favorite track on the album, "Effigy". While more associated with garage rock, Moll blends the Farfisa with some twang guitar, the Farfisa carrying the melody into a brief quiet passage, Fundaro singing over his drumming, before the song swells with guitars, keyboards and harmonies in a joyous release. The string interlude after the second chorus is a jawdropping surprise. The overall effect of the song is of a collaboration between Elvis Costello and the Attractions and The Left Banke, with the Banke taking the song over in the end. The music takes a turn towards a more urgent form of pop on "Sitting By the Window", which fits in well with some of the recent music from Pernice Brothers and Granddaddy. Yet it manages to be a bit more rocking than either, while remaining a bit more delicate than either. Moll's Farfisa is again a star, though you can't overlook drummer Mike Federline's refined pounding – he drives the song without overwhelming it. Throughout the record, Fundaro sings at the high end of his range. As a result, he has an extremely vulnerable quality. This matches up well with the simple lyrics, that are haikus of hope and regret. For example, in the aforementioned "Window", in about 15 short lines, he quickly details the story of a broken hearted lover who observes (and may be spying on) an ex – it's a "never ending blow", though it also seems self-inflicted. On the pretty "I Want to Tell You", Fundaro sharply gets at the heart of intimacy, and how opening up may "set [you] free", but it takes a lot of trust: "Is who I see now who you are?" One thing that I think separates the softer side of rock from the mellow sounds of the pre-rock era is the blues. So even when rock songs tend towards beauty rather than riffs, they have a decidedly personal component missing from the Tin Pin Alley hits of the ‘30s and ‘40s. Sometimes the personal is specific and the pain autobiographical, other times, as on this album, the experiences being sung about are more universal. Nevertheless, whether glistening or haunting, the songs on this album grab the ears and reach for something deeper. Fundaro and Moll have made an album that isn't just catchy, it translates feelings into music.
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