Customer Reviews

Pretty Songs & Ugly Stories

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
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This collection of songs by Ann Magnuson (formerly of Bongwater) and Kristian Hoffman (formerly of Mumps) is
almost unrealistically good. Magnuson's bitingly humorous lyrics meld perfectly with Hoffman's arrangements.
From power-pop to lounge muzak, they skewer genres as deeply as they understand them (and that's pretty deep). This is a great recording that's bound to be overlooked by most, which is a sin...but it only proves Magnuson's bitter theory that the "magazines say my life has turned to mold".
Ann, with that startling mix of ArtForum and "trailer park", you'll always be fresh to me.

If you haven't heard Ann Magnuson yet, you're in for a very nice surprise. The songs themselves are very clever ("Falling For An Actor" itself is worth the price of admission), and Ann interprets them beautifully. As the title says, the melodies are pretty, but the stories they tell aren't, and there's a nice tension between the two. Highly recommended.