by eliza czander
People often consider side projects to be a let down. A seemingly unfinished work of an artist who isn’t used to having so much control over their music. I, on the other hand, tend to really take to them. It’s like seeing someone all dressed up for the first time or something. And whether the result is fantastic or it totally sucks, it’s always interesting.
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Perhapst is the name of John Moen’s side baby. John was once a drummer for Elliot Smith and Stephen Malkmus, and is currently with The Decemberists. The album, though completely John’s creation, also features Stephen Malkmus on guitar, Jonathan Drews (Sunset Valley) on drums, Eric Lovre (Dharma Bums) on bass, and Chris Funk (current guitarist for The Decemberists) on guitar. The feel of the album is a bit softer than I had expected, taking a turn down a more straightforward indie-pop path, with sweet-sounding vocals and classic hooks. Still, it’s a solid project, and John certainly has control over his musical style and sensibilities. Though the resemblances to Elliot Smith are obvious (listen to “Aren’t You Glowing”), Perhapst still manages not to sound derivative – Moen has proven his side project to be more than an incidental experiment. It’s nice to see him all dressed up.
