I'm reading Breece D'j Pancake. I guess that's the best way to start since art forms so rarely infect each other (a sad truth), but "Breece Pancake", on both Ponieheart and Crane Orchard, prompted a Barnes & Noble order. Ponieheart/Crane Orchard is a double CD comprised of Paul Fugazzotto II solo (Ponieheart) and with band (Crane Orchard). Theoretically, the idea seems a bit redundant. Especially since a handful of songs are found on both discs. But Jaime Stewart (Xiu Xiu) on one, full band on other, and Fugazzotto sounding like a different singer, make this double CD a unique treasure. Touch to Love:
No matter how much Touch to Love ends up flying under the radar, the magic between Fugazzotto and Stewart should not be overlooked. Ponieheart struggles beautifully under the industrial sky of Stewart. Relying mostly on acoustic guitar and a voice trying to desperately communicate hurt, the production does not compromise the folk, yet it does add a heartbeat, where necessary, to broaden the image.
"Front Porch" is a dustbowl town the summer days John Cougar does not make a video. Fugazzotto is the downtrodden, undiscovered, trapped talent on the porch. The synth that invades "Front Porch" though shows the clouds overhead and the world at large, a world that is plugged in to development beyond the simple struggles. The two realize this dysfunctional destiny in Ponieheart's final line: "Machines
they grow, improve, destroy, free, ignite."
The best sound on Touch to Love occurs 2:20 into "Don't Lie". The simple drum machine beat is briefly interrupted by (what sounds like) someone playing a metal railing in a stairwell. The best song, "Breece Pancake", is completely stripped down to Fugazzotto and a dim lamp on a couch that one might find for free on garbage day. "Breece Pancake" is another reason why this is one of the better produced albums since Bob Weston was at his peak in the 90s. Stewart and Fugazzotto create sincere warmth, and tracks that only work outside the man and instrument formula when it is purposeful.
Touch to Love is the benefice of a songwriter who immediately enters into the realm of some the current greats.
Spread Your Lies Wholeheartedly
Crane Orchard, on its own, would be a praiseworthy product with Spread Your Lies Wholeheartedly, but its coupling with Touch to Love creates comparisons it cannot match. Fugazzotto's voice is more processed, and the music is busier and less focused. On the upside, many of the best tracks on Ponieheart are interpreted in unpredictable ways by Crane Orchard. For example, "Don't Lie" rocks out with a drummer and effects-driven guitars in a danceable, if not clap-able, way. Also, "Bitter", which is not on Touch to Love, is one of the best songs on either album. With the southern appeal of a Varnaline of Centro-matic ballad, Fugazzotto captures some of the authenticity with Crane Orchard he more willingly bares as Ponieheart.
Spread Your Lies Wholeheartedly is proof that great songs are universally great, and can adapt to numerous incarnations without significantly losing their value. Fugazzotto's songs take on a new life, but not a bad life, with Crane Orchard.
Tracks added to iPod (Touch to Love): front porch, hold the light, don't lie, road is long, breece pancake, go dead
Tracks added to iPod (Spread Your Lies Wholeheartedly): breece pancake, bitter, don't lie, go dead, swamp
