Peakahokahoo

The gloriously unself-conscious eclecticism of Piney Gir's debut album is the sound of a young woman who has decided that easy-to-pigeonhole stylistic genres are a sucker's bet. The 13 songs on Peakahokahoo have a few points of common interest -- an old-fashioned electronic organ and rhythm box are the primary instruments on most of the album -- but when your record jumps from the most unfettered cover of "My Generation" since Patti Smith's to the slinky cocktail-party pop of "Nightsong" (a bill-and-coo duet with Irish singer/songwriter Simple Kid), the consistency of sound goes right out the window, and good riddance. Kansas City-born, London-based singer/songwriter Angela Penhaligon has a voice that recalls April March's blend of sex kitten and bratty kid sister, even more stylistic range than Nellie McKay, and an absolutely fearless mix-and-match aesthetic that makes Peakahokahoo the kind of record one either loves (for its clever lyrics, sweet vocals, catchy tunes, and wild stylistic leaps) or hates (for its Attention-Deficit-Disorder-level inability to stick with a musical form from one song to the next, and perhaps the rather lo-fi D.I.Y. quality of some songs). For those in the former category, effortlessly bouncy tunes like the synthed-up girl-group pop of "Boston" (fans of the early Magnetic Fields will plotz), and the Nancy Sinatra-style country-pop of "Greetings, Salutations, Goodbye" will be "Your New Favorite Songs" for months to come. ~ Stewart Mason|