will simmons & the upholsterers : innuendo : the italian way"
[lp]
the evervesent simmons grapples a solid group of snap and blurt - drum hits and trombone honk, bass backbone and lead guitar riff...it conjures the old slaying of mythical beasts and rot sofa - like a fancy party i wasnt invited to. soft spoken lines and a half beet root vegetable. as the steam rises from the river so does simmons song. eaten polka tune, missed communications, and old rock and roll meet in the middle of no place to make good and shake hands. co-released in and edition of 300 with almost halloween time records with screened covers, and includes a digital download (AHT records have hand painted covers)
"kisses on the nile"
"first : i tricked the tiger"
"ours, but never free"
"sing little bird"
"landscape with stag and hound"
"waiting for the night"
"the silhouette"
"autographed by the sidewalk, his face"
"the telephone"
"lonely, tonight"
"the chills"
"the dummy song"
"the end of your wire"
reviews
Vinyl and cassette are the two ways to get this new release from the onetime Four Roses frontman, who's on to more earnest (but upbeat) material on this folk-pop release. Simmons is backed by scene vets Bill Fulmer, Bob Junkunz, and Greg Lagrosa on 13 tracks of lo-fi sunshine pop and thoughtful, well-written (if at times maybe slightly overdone) lyricism. The trombone is tasteful and integrated nicely - a feat on a pop record. (pittsburgh city paper)
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Will Simmons and company make ample use of sparse arrangements and subtle lyrics couched in clever metaphor and witty wordplay; there’s a sometimes dicey exchange between artist and muse that in this particular case results in the creation of a highly personalized statement of tumultuous charm. “Innuendo: The Italian Way” resonates as an affable record that shimmers and shakes with intimacy. With a little bit of garage, some surf-rock and a tinge of twee thrown in, each song is graced with the comforting familiarity of a family heirloom. Whether it’s Simmons’ voice on “First: I Tricked the Tiger” or the trombone-laden strains that color “The Silhouette” — along with percussive maestro “Red Bob” Jungkunz tastefully clicking the sticks — the fellas have fashioned some quirky prose for Pittsburgh’s bard of lonesome bedroom pop. (Pittsburgh Magazine)
* * *
One of the most welcome recent listens is Innuendo: The Italian Way, by Will Simmons & the Upholsterers. Available on cassette and LP from long-running tape label Unread Records, this is an understated gem of an album. There is a kind of mid-fi charm to the proceedings – it is clear that significant effort went into recording this album, yet it manages to breathe easy in all the right places. Hyperliterate writing is fleshed out by intelligent, but not overly lush, arrangements. The scope of the songs, and Simmons’ effortless way with a lyrical hook, recalls David Berman in his American Water prime, as well as Nebraskan Simon Joyner. (RID OF ME)