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Modern Skirts
Catalogue of Generous Men
(Go to Your Room)
First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2006, Volume 13, #10
Written by Melissa Stroh
The members of Modern Skirts still have a doe-eyed, baby-faced look about
them, and, while at first glance, the group might appear to be a
run-of-the-mill, piano-driven, pop-oriented outfit, there’s more to its music
than initially meets the eye. On its debut Catalogue of Generous Men, the
band effectively has turned its inexperience into an advantage. In fact, its
songs, about the gloriousness of fall days and moving out west for a girl, are
so carefully crafted that they become immediately ingratiating. Even the bad
times seem to be laced with a silver lining. On the album’s opening track N.Y.
Song, for instance, front man Jay Gulley’s distinctively slurred vocals
glide over the top of a simplistic piano progression, and it subsequently is
impossible not to follow him on a journey through the streets and subways of New
York City. The ensemble so effortlessly conjures its worlds, that the listener
is drawn into them without even knowing it.
Part of Modern Skirts’ success can be attributed to its lyrics. Tracks
like Pasadena and Save Me showcase the conversational approach
that the group took with its material, and although this is a feat that other
bands have attempted but failed to achieve, the Modern Skirts makes it work.
Whenever its lyrics do falter, Gulley’s passionately convincing delivery keeps
them from sounding trite.
While Modern Skirts isn’t afraid to strip down its music to just vocals
and piano, it also doesn’t shy away from building up its arrangements to their
full capability. As a result, the peaks and valleys of Catalogue of Generous
Men go hand-in-hand with the unpredictability of the fall season. One track
is cheery, full, and bright, while the next slowly descends into the darkest
depths. Yet, even the saddest songs on the effort have a place and a purpose
because the contrast between hope and hopelessness is precisely what makes
Catalogue of Generous Men so magnificent. 
Catalogue of Generous Men is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
This disc is NOT currently available in Canada or the U.K.!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box
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