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mice parade
album review
by brenton crozier


Artist:
Mice Parade

Title:
Self-Titled

Release Date:
05.08.07

Label:
Fat Cat Records


      Adam Pierce is the lone creative force behind Mice Parade. His indie rock credentials include drumming for the Swirlies and The Philistine Jr. The Mice Parade project finds Pierce dabbling more into a post-rock, even experimental genre-bending sound that is gentle, but less pop than his aforementioned musical endeavors. This self-titled album does not have a real capturing quality to it and is a bit flat at first listen.

      As commendable as it is a flaw in the album, Pierce attempts to take on the lofty task of giving his experimental rock more of a songwriter’s sensibility. The two elements often feel fragmented and highlight his limited vocal capabilities. A simple continuity pervades through each track, which is not always a bad thing, but each song seems to follow the same blueprint. Although it may not be ambitious in the technical or instrumental aspects of experimental rock often displayed by more jazzy outfits such as The Sea and Cake, it is charming in its determination to bridge an indie rock to post-rock sound that is more accessible than genre counterparts.

      The highlight of the album is the second track ‘Tales of Las Negras’ that features guest vocalist Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab fame. The infectious beat and simple keyboard melody in union with the vocal variety and depth of Sadier and Pierce together, demonstrate the real potential of the Mice Parade project. The percussive elements of Mice Parade are at times dynamic, and always interesting.

      Fans of Jim O’Rourke, particularly Gastr del Sol, particularly the album Camofleur, will appreciate Pierce’s approach. Mouse on Mars and Tortoise fans should definitely give this album a whirl, just be sure, give it 2 or 3 times extra through your listening cycle. If you are an indie rock enthusiast that is tired of the same old formula, Mice Parade makes the effort, so you’ll either think it is just the thing you are looking for, or you’ll be dreadfully bored with it, but in either case, you won’t know until you’ve given it a few listens.

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