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November 4th, 2011 By ROBERT HAM | Music | Posted In: Cut of the Day

Cut of the Day: Ross Beach "Orange Gerbera Daisies", Orange Gerbera Daisies (Bouncing Space)

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When Casey charged me with writing a little something about the new Ross Beach disc, my immediate question was, "Where the hell has that guy been?" Thankfully, Beach has answered the question for me in a blog post entitled: "Where the hell have I been?" It reads:

My shows-per-year has dropped off almost as precipitously as my updates to this website. Trust me when I say that I've hard at work writing new songs and making new recordings. And, when I'm not doing those things, I'm either working, sleeping, or just having way too much fun to be bothered. It's a pretty good situation.

Well, I say we're in a pretty good situation having Beach's pure pop sense back in the world. The singer/songwriter has just released a new LP called Orange Gerbera Daisies, and it is a pure gem of songcraft, melodicism, and giddy joy. And like any wise musician knows, you have to start out a new album with a corker. Beach's title track is just that.

A perfect midtempo love tune that follows a perfect template: talking about all the stuff his lady loves (the films of Peter Greenaway, frozen waterfalls, etc.) but she loves nothing more than, yes, orange gerbera daisies. It's a hell of a showcase for Beach's Matthew Sweet-like facility with a pop hook and making a simple lyrical idea rich with meaning.

It's one of those songs that makes me wish I had some songwriting ability so I could write something as charming, catchy, and disarming as this one. I imagine the lady Beach wrote the song for swooning away as he played it for her. And if she didn't, I hope he sent her packing. Great tunes should not be wasted on the undeserving.

Want to hear Ross Beach celebrate the release of his new album? Of course you do, silly. Go to Langano Lounge this Saturday at 9:30 p.m.

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11.04.2011 at 05:04 Reply

Wade Scribner

Ross's style is a great new taste to my music collection. you will not be dissapointed.