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Close to Me

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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.

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).