The Pernice Brothers

A limited-edition, 500-copy CD sold only at gigs, EP will prove as hard to come by as it is noteworthy. A little five-song teaser issued before the glorious sextet released their second LP, the first two tracks are supreme examples of why every fan of this group has been salivating for its release. Just as they've been on-stage, "Number Two" and (a demo of) "Ballad of Bjorn Borg" are pinnacles in modern pop writing, so marvelously, absurdly dripping in sonorous lush pop beauty and drama mixed with Joe Pernice's sympathetic, sighing-strong vocal. We're talking tunes worthy of prime Bacharach at his most golden touch, made by a lineup greatly superior (and seasoned) to the one that made the otherwise excellent debut, Overcome By Happiness. Both songs come out of some other world, where melody haunts so badly, it freezes your stomach over. And the band plays so adeptly, it might as well be the Wrecking Crew or Motown team on the instruments. The acoustic and electric guitars mix as if planned by an Iron Chef, Laura Stein's piano is like some kind of wind gust, Pernice's voice coos warmly, his voice breaking, and ace bassist Thom Monahan's production is deeply lavish in all the right ways. Without a doubt, these two yearning pieces of perfection are the kind of compositions publishers search the ends of the earth for, and if they don't establish Pernice as a 21st century pop-writing genius when the LP comes out, nothing will. No one is doing this better on the planet at this moment than Pernice Brothers. No one. (10A Burt St., Dorchester, MA 02124; joyce@empathetic.com, http://pernice.sanadoire.com) ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover, All Music Guide