Pitchfork

1. The only color represented on either the cover art or the CD itself is a particularly melancholy shade of blue. The disc itself has no writing or identifying marks on it at all, save for its blueness.

2. The seventh song on Chappaquiddick Skyline is entitled "Theme to an Endless Bummer." This could just as well have been the album title.

3. The first words out of Joe Pernice's mouth on the opening track, "Everyone Else is Evolving" are: "I hate my life."

Yes, this is the latest installment of Joe Pernice's terminally-depressed orchestral pop musings, and as if you haven't already gathered, this album is a downer. Someone needs to give this guy a hug before he jumps off a building.

You might have thought that the Pernice Brothers' Overcome by Happiness was in need of a good dose of Prozac, but that disc is positively sunny in disposition compared to this latest effort. And the fact is, Pernice definitely knows what he's doing-- these songs'll tug at your heartstrings as impatiently as any sad song ever penned. However, some problems arise here.

Pernice's past efforts-- whether with the Pernice Brothers (the lineup of which is virtually the same as Chappaquiddick Skyline, minus Joe's brother Bob), or his first group, the underrated Scud Mountain Boys-- have always included at least a few up-tempo tracks to alleviate the gloom. Not so here. And it wouldn't even be so bad, except that the album is also sadly lacking in Pernice's beautiful ethereal vocal melodies, which graced Overwhelmed by Happiness so plentifully.

With the exception of the cover of New Order's "Leave Me Alone," every song on Chappaquiddick Skyline drags its feet. Too many of these songs float by on nothing more than a breathy Pernice vocal and a chiming guitar progression. This lends the album a breezy, nonchalant air, but it also leaves the listener precious little to sink teeth into. Tracks like "The Two of You Sleep" and "Knights of the Night Volume 1" sound like half-baked demos. It doesn't help that Pernice's vocal style is so deliberate that you can practically see him enunciating each word. Sadness and pain resonate in his voice, but it's almost as if that he's so bummed that he feels like he can't afford to let a little personality show through.

On a more positive note, there are a few songs here that replicate the standard Pernice formula with quite a bit of success. "Courage Up" and "Hundred Dollar Pocket" are both examples of Pernice at his best-- lilting melodies, beautiful arrangements and thoughtful (if still pretty depressing) lyrics. However, that the most successful track here is a cover of a New Order song doesn't lend much to Joe's credibility.

It's unclear whether Pernice has shelved the Pernice Brothers moniker in favor of Chappaquiddick Skyline, or if this is just a side project that utilizes many of the same players he usually works with. If the side project scenario is accurate, he can certainly be forgiven this slight misstep. After all, if this disc had been recorded by a no-name with no previous recordings to judge by, I would probably be much more forgiving in my judgment. However, on this release, Pernice doesn't quite live up to his legacy, and what I and many others know he's eminently capable of. Here's hoping he's feeling a touch more motivated next time around.