Austin Sound

Over two albums and the past five years, Wiretree has grown from the solo project of Kevin Peroni into one of the emerging acolytes of power-pop in Austin. Behind Peroni’s ranging and easy tenor, the quartet brings touches of the Pernice Brothers and New Pornographers, with a twinge of pedal steel twang and shades of both classic Eighties and contemporary indie pop. It’s a melding of influences and sounds that seems to finally come together in Wiretree’s latest effort, the band’s third LP tentatively titled Make Up, and currently being recorded at Hot Tracks! for a release later this year. You can check out some their new material in their recent ACL Satellite Set, or catch them this Saturday, February 26, at the Hole in the Wall with Digital Antique and The Lennings.

Raised on steady diet of pre-Ghost Is Born Wilco and pretty much anything Ryan Adams has recorded, Wiretree’s sophomore LP, Luck, is a collage of turn-of-the-millennium alt-country rock and pop. Kevin Peroni, who plays the majority of the instrumentation on Luck, sings with hushed urgency to a tuneful track list full of pop idiom and refined rock and roll.

Luck, in many ways, defines the ideal pop sound. Each song, carefully crafted by Peroni, begins in verses that build into choruses while he delicately intones over piano and guitar rock. And you know when the chorus has arrived because the voice takes on a sort metallic tone as it tries to reach those elevated, repeat-worthy melodies, the cymbals come crashing in, and a distorted guitar rings out over the acoustic rhythm. Peroni’s equation-like approach to his songwriting and instrumentation might seem a bit elementary on paper, but for the most part it makes for a quite enjoyable record.

Here is one to put on your “keep on ear out for” list! Local quartet Wiretree released their debut LP, Bouldin, back in 2007, which was a solid enough effort with the fantastic “Big Coat” especially showing promise. The sophomore album, however, grabbed our attention with its first taste, “Back In Town.” Frontman Kevin Peroni is capable of writing some spectacular power-pop tunes, and “Back in Town” certainly sets the bar high. Wiretree has allowed us to share the song, which you can download below. They are still finishing up the album, which should see release later this year, so we recommend you catch them live. Unfortunately, though they have a gig in Plugerville this weekend, Wiretree doesn’t have anything schedule back in town (heh) until July 16.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Artist: Wiretree
Label: Cobaltworks
Genre: Pop

Wiretree - Big Coat

Who doesn’t love singer/songwriters? Me! Actually, that’s not true at all. I just have a problem with how many artists in the genre go the way of picking up an acoustic guitar and pushing out a bunch of songs that all sound alike. Although, because of that it does makes it all the better when guys like Kevin Peroni, who operates under the moniker of Wiretree, releases a sweeping effort like Bouldin. The record, which is Kevin’s first full length, is a good listen from front to back, and it features numerous pop influences that range from retro to more modern day folk-enthused work. In other words, you don’t get the same song over and over again. This is good. If you missed out on the album in 2007 then I would certainly recommend picking it up and giving it a listen here in the new year. You won’t regret it.