Close to Me [EP]

The Comfies | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: EP
• Label: Livewire Recordings
• ASIN: B000ICLTQ4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #685,208 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The Nashville Scene

Something like the Posies with a dash of Superdrag's saccharine harmonies, Britpop sensibility and firm grasp of the hook.

About the Artist

Comfies (cum-fees) informal adj. - Comfortable clothing, often pajama pants and sweatshirt, worn in the comfort of one's own home.

Is there a more perfect definition of The Comfies music? From the opening notes of the title track on their upcoming 7-song EP "Close To Me," the band creates a musical mélange that stacks rich harmonies upon infectious refrains that can only be described as "comfy." With improbably familiar yet refreshingly new melodies, The Comfies' music surrounds the listener with warm layers of dreamy pop rock a lá Ben Kweller, Spoon, and New Pornographers, with a nod to The Kinks, The Zombies and Wings.

Frontman Benjamin Adam Harper grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC where as a teen he honed his guitar and songwriting skills - which of course necessitated a move to Nashville. Shortly after moving to Nashville, Harper found himself touring the U.S. and Europe as the bassist for Doghouse Records recording artists - Feable Weiner. After 3 or 4 years of being on tour, Harper realized he needed to unleash his own brand of musical munchies. With that in mind he recruited local icons, and dear friends, to join him - bassist Nathan Hansen (Bang Bang Bang, The Darling Hearts, Silent Friction), drummer Sam Smith (Lifeboy, Character) and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Raf Cevallos (The Pink Spiders, The Darling Hearts). Thus was The Comfies was born.

It was The Comfies' MySpace page that got the attention of Livewire Recordings. At first the band thought the A&R rep was just "some guy" pitching them for a track on a compilation. Several calls later and a visit from the label's president, Colin Cobb, at one of their gigs convinced them that the label and the deal they were offering were for real. "We blew Colin's mind with our live show," says Harper laughing.

The band was already in the midst of recording with Lakefever Productions in Nashville when Livewire came into the picture. Cobb, also a producer (The Rewinds, Ashton Allen), convinced the band to pack up their equipment and come to his Vintage Vibe Studios in Alpharetta, GA, to record a few more songs. Harper recalls, "I was getting levels in the booth, playing a song I'd just come up with when Colin stopped me and asked, `What's that man? We gotta put that on the record!' I wrote lyrics all night and tracked it the next day. It was one of those magical studio moments." The result is "Dear Miss Anderson," an acoustic gem that ends the EP on just the right note.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Skillfully-crafted Power Pop, February 8, 2008

By 

Tony Sclafani - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Close to Me (Audio CD)

The Comfies
Close to Me
(Livewire)

When Sterling, Va. native Benjamin Adam Harper quit the punk-comedy band Feable Weiner, he knew he couldn't make music under his own name, which was already being used by another musician. So he put together the band Harper, but found out he couldn't use that name either (an Australian blues player had claimed it). Thus, he rechristened the band The Comfies and it's under that moniker the 1996 Park View High School graduate has released a debut seven-song mini CD on Livewire Recordings.

The name "Comfies" is probably too cutesy for the quartet, which plays angst-ridden power pop. Nevertheless, the group (which is based out of Tennessee) has concocted a seven-track, mini-masterpiece of tightly-constructed, hook-happy songs. Harper, who composed all the tunes, exhibits a flair for mellow pop he must have kept under wraps while thrashing away with those wild'n'crazy Feable Weiner dudes.

The title track opener mixes a soaring chorus with a brittle riff that harkens back to '80s Brit-funk. Jazzy chords and baby-voiced guest backing vocalist Andrea Barrett make the ballad "In My Room" believably melancholy. Raf Cevallos' multiple keyboard parts on the psychedelic-styled "Understanding 23" beautifully underscore Harper's deceptively complex melody.

In "Medicine," the band plows into straight-ahead rock, but throws listeners a curve by using bell-like synthesized sounds in the bridge. "Sunshine" humorously uses a "human beatbox"-styled vocal drum sound. Only the closing track, "Dear Miss Anderson," is less than compelling, with its unplugged arrangement and waltz-time tempo sounding uninspired.

The Comfies lyrics - when comprehensible - seem largely personal. It's hard to tell, because Harper's offhand vocals are often buried in the mix. But the words seem secondary to the arrangements, which have an almost poetic way of unfolding. Bassist Nathan Hansen and drummer Sam Smith navigate the changes in tempo and dynamics with a dexterity that belies the music's complexity.

The Comfies enjoy patching together musical influences, but their complex soundscapes might prove too idiosyncratic for mass appeal. Complexity and wit are qualities often lost on American audiences, who made artists like XTC, Todd Rundgren, and Jellyfish (all of which The Comfies recall) definitive non-stars. But you never know. As of this writing, the EP has hit the Top 100 on the CMJ chart, proving more people than expected must be pretty comfy listening to Harper's skillfully-crafted pop songs.

- Tony Sclafani

Originally published in Nov. 2006 issue of Music Monthly.

5.0 out of 5 stars New Tunes, March 8, 2007

By 

R. B. Cook - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Close to Me (Audio CD)

The Comfies "Close to me" is for lovers of Squeeze and Guster. They combine elements of both to create an enjoyable debut album.

The Comfies (formerly known as Harper) is comprised of vocalist/guitarist and principal songwriter Benjamin Adam Harper; bassist Nathan Hansen (Bang Bang Bang, The Darling Hearts, Silent Friction); drummer Sam Smith (Lifeboy, Character); and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Raf Cevallos (The Pink Spiders, The Darling Hearts).