Raw Power Magazine proves once again that the French hold the patent on eloquence.
English translation below:
'The first album of Sir M Ross Perkins is this end of the year’s great surprise. Coming from Dayton, Ohio, this odd guy, who has a thing for fur and delicate pop, just released a remarkable record in more than one respect.
It's a soothing disc on which M Ross Perkins, who plays all the instruments and takes care of all the vocal parts, succeeds in capturing the essence of late ’60s/early ‘70s recordings while offering us a truly personal reinterpretation of it. An easy-going album, perfect to chill out after a hard day’s work, ideal for forgetting everyday worries. If "Humboldt County Green" and, even more, "Let A Little Lazy," drift toward Harry Nilsson with great panache, "Project 63 Online," on the other hand, is an excellent track on which we go from a typical Donovan rhythm to Beatle-esque vocal harmonies with the most beautiful effect. After two songs, we’re already charmed, and the rest is in the same vein. "My Poor Daughter" and, above all, "Someone Else," poignant without falling into pathos, are both as charming as the first Emmit Rhodes solo recordings.
The melodic talent of M Ross Perkins is a sure thing. We could praise his vocal skills, but what strikes us most is this ability to transcend his songs by brilliant arrangements which then allow his talent as a singer to express itself. Listening to a song like "Ever Ever Ever" and the way it is constructed is enough to understand that we’re dealing with an expert in the field, a detail maniac who leaves nothing to chance. The use here of a piano, there of a Mellotron, enriching the sonic palette. That’s certainly what allows him to successfully try his hand at other sonorities, like on "Amazing Grace (Grandma’s Dead)" which sounds as if The Beatles had started to play boogie, or furthermore "Habit-Formin’ Drugs," with its country overtones.
In the end, we only have a single regret, being that certain tracks are too short, particularly "Annie Waits In A Dream," which holds many great promises but stops after a frustratingly short one minute. Fortunately, the following track, "Of the Gun," is a perfect closing song and it brilliantly concludes this timeless disc. Old-fashioned, as our Anglo-Saxon friends would say.
With this first album, which we hope calls for others, M Ross Perkins makes a grand entrance into the family of talented songwriters. Splendid.'
(Frank)
