Review: The Simple Carnival “Girls Aliens Food”

Back in June, I reviewed The Simple Carnival’s EP entitled, “Me and My Arrow”, which was a real blast of fresh air for pop purists (review here). Now, The Simple Carnival mastermind Jeff Boller is back as promised with the full-length release “Girls Aliens Food”, due to drop tomorrow.

As expected, “Girls Aliens Food” (I am guessing these are Jeff’s three favorite things besides music) delivers more of the same brand of Harry Nilsson style pop that we heard on the EP. There are a few intriguing instrumentals thrown in, but I prefer the tracks with vocals. Jeff’s soothing tone is like an instant stress reliever, and he has a true gift for harmony and melody. The music is pure pop – not rock, not even power pop – but still undeniably catchy and fun. My kids (5 and 3) really enjoy the stuff! If you like the gentle and mellow sounds that The Carpenters used to hammer out, then The Simple Carnival may feel like a welcome retreat to you.

As on the EP, my favorite track remains “Caitlin's on the Beach”, a brilliant example of a sunny pop masterpiece. Additional standouts on “Girls Aliens Food” include the quirky “Really Really Weird” (see video below) and “Flirt”, which features an irresistibly bouncy piano riff. The acapella track, “Nothing Will Ever Be As Good”, showcases Jeff’s talent for harmony and is reminiscent of the 60s pop group The Association. Sounding like something from an Austin Powers movie, “Over Coffee and Tea” just makes me laugh, and I could use a dose of that kind of laughter more often. “Misery” and the acoustic driven “You Jump First” are two more wonderfully catchy tracks to round out this exceptional release.

If you really want to have some fun at your next party, sneak a Simple Carnival CD into the stereo after the new Metallica. The looks on the faces should be priceless.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10

The Simple Carnival on MySpace. Official Site.

Jeff also runs a really cool gearhead blog called Songs and Sonics. A must see if you are a home recording artist.

Check out the video for “Really Really Weird”:

Review: The Simple Carnival “Me and My Arrow EP”

Jeff Boller is the one man band otherwise known as The Simple Carnival. He has just released “Me and My Arrow”, a 4-track EP foreshadowing a full-length release slated for October entitled, “Girls Aliens Food”. “If the Beach Boys and Harry Nilsson collaborated on Sesame Street,” is how Jeff describes the sound of The Simple Carnival…an intriguing yet surprisingly accurate description of the retro pop party that you’ll enjoy on “Me and My Arrow”.

Jeff not only wrote all of these songs, but he also played every single instrument (totaling 30, not counting vocals) on this recording. So obviously the guy is multi-talented, or he spends so much time in his basement that he simply doesn’t have any friends who could play the other instruments! While I find this impressive, most music fans realize that some guy in the basement can play 100 instruments himself, but if the songs suck, they suck. Even worse, the one man band has no one else to blame it on. Jeff has no worries in this regard. He can take all the praise for the four absolutely wonderful songs on “Me and My Arrow”.

Jeff makes it clear upfront: The Simple Carnival doesn’t rock…it pops. But pop it does, and it is some of the most infectious music I’ve heard. The record is recorded in a home studio, but you would never know. Sonically, it sounds better than what some professional recording studios churn out. Vocally, Jeff reminds me of Rupert Holmes (shame on you if you do not know "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)") and a bit of Timothy B. Schmit, and other soothing late 70s singer/songwriters. The upbeat and sunny "Caitlin's on the Beach" is my favorite track, but the other 3 are groovy cool in their own way. Normally I would kind of snicker at the glistening electric piano, xylophone, and flute of the lounge-flavored "Over Coffee and Tea", but it is actually fun and hip in an Austin Powers kind of way. Yeah baby! And you simply can't knock the catchy melody and silky smooth harmonies.

If you are a power pop purist, you MUST check out Jeff Boller's The Simple Carnival. I don't see how any fan of Brian Wilson, Harry Nilsson, or Sesame Street would be disappointed! I await the full-length release with eager anticipation...

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4

The Simple Carnival on MySpace. Official Site.

A note of trivia: Jeff also runs a really cool gearhead blog called Songs and Sonics. A must see if you are a home recording artist.

Check out the video for “Really Really Weird”: