With a lonely baritone ukulele, a voice that is lilting and endearing and a notebook full of delectable poetry, Nancy Paraskevopoulos has recorded a collection of beautifully quirky and charming songs and wrapped them up into a tasty nugget of an album that she calls Comfort Muffin, released earlier this year on Chow Records.
The simple beauty of Comfort Muffin is in the poetry. Paraskevopoulos tackles subjects as broad and as deep as love, ego, romance, science, relationships, Buddhism, the environment and (almost literally) Life, the Universe and Everything -- and she does it with such masterful wordplay that after numerous times around, I still can't listen to this album without smiling. Scattered all about the album are dozens of true gems ("For You" and "Take Your Time" for example) that hide in plain sight within the sparse musical background of notes - with just a touch of reverb.
In songs such as "Let 'em Stare" and "Watch Me Watch My Girl," she openly addresses the subject of her sexuality without shoving it in your face. She is not seeking a reaction; nor is she seeking your approval. She is simply writing about her life and her view on the world.
The fact that she named one of her songs "Restaurant at the End of the Universe" endeared her to me before I even opened the CD package (not to mention the phrase 'Comfort Muffin'). However, while the song presents a litany of environmental statistics and warnings of dangerous global scenarios, I was amazed at how Paraskevopoulos can take even this ominous subject and give it a hint of snark and tongue-in-cheek humor.
http://youtu.be/BNvL-LJt-DE
Another wonderful treat that you'll find in Comfort Muffin is a hollowed-out cover of The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Paraskevopoulos' treatment of this blue-collar punk anthem puts a real twist on a familiar classic. She has taken the song from a dark and angry shout against culture caste and the status-quo to a more intimate and personal conversation about submission of self for the sake of love and the greater good.
If choosing my favorite track on the album was simply a matter of noting which one I found myself singing in the shower most often, then I would have to pick "Crush." The melody is infectious and the lyrics contains subtle twists of word play that turn what would be a simple love song into a much more direct and pointed observation.
Speaking from the heart, however, I cannot deny the impact that her song "I Wanna Hold You" had on me. The pure innocence in the voicing of her desire for closeness and the purity of human touch is held aloft by such a pristine and brilliant chord structure that it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. If it is possible for a song to be both chilling and heartwarming, then Paraskevopoulos has achieved it in this work.
Just when you thought you had completed this journey through the world of Comfort Muffin, Nancy Paraskevopoulos sneaks in a hidden bonus track at the end of the disc. The bonus track contains a fun and extemporaneous Beastie Boys-like exposition about life with a 15-letter surname.
I suppose the highest compliment I can pay to Nancy is to let her know that I have played this album for my daughters. They love it and it is endearing to hear my youngest singing "My Mixtape" in the kitchen.
Comfort Muffin by Nancy Paraskevopoulos is available from Rock Paper Scissors, Bandcamp and Souncloud.
