Eric Apoe – Spectator
Eric Apoe has released an album of noir based, rich old world folk songs influenced with accordion, clarinet, and almost always a touch of darkness. The whole thing could well have taken place at a gypsy carnival or in the woods nearby, hence the title: Spectator. This is quite a hefty undertaking seventeen songs, with old world whistles, accordion, piano, fiddle and occasional saxophone in the mix. At one pint Pearl Jam’s drummer Matt Cameron is on the drums.
The title track is up first, and there’s fiddle and Eric’s low vocals are produced with a echoey, spacious empty-church feel, and then on “50 Cents for a Dollar” there is a clarinet and piano an old timey swing. “I’ll make you wealthy in a matter of time… there’s a sucker on the rail car.”
On “Dream Asylum,” co-produced with Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam), there are strings, cello, accordion and even a saw, with Matt on drums and a shadowy darkness. It starts out with the eery saw noise harbinger of something more to come, and there’s a garden in the dream asylum.
In “Harbor of the Dawn” there is a whistle in the mix connoting a pied piper in the forest: “there’s a mist every morning that unveils a forewarning of what is hidden in the mystery of the fog,” and later there is a nightingale, the moon, and the harbor at dawn – and minor harmonies. In “Clown Show” a plastic bucket is being played at one point and it’s a gypsy carnival of clicks, flute and more, “all wrapped up in a hideous smile… beautiful ghouls, shell games…. it’s a clown show get out of the way, the clown expo is coming today.”
“I Came From Bagels” has the Southern gothic style fiddle, clarinet and trombone with old world jewish underpinnings: “I came from Bagels to Sien, I am a businessman, I am… to bring you gifts from distant lands. You eat your schnitzel and your spam, I eat my matzo like a man.”
This is a noir undertaking of restrained melodrama and quite refreshing. It should find its rightful niche with fans of Southern gothic, New Orleans style macabre music and fanfare. Spectator was produced by Eric Apoe and Steve Peterson, with additional production by Henry Cheng, Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam), Sarit Kleinman, John Capek, and Brent Moyer. It was mixed by Steve Peterson, Henry Cheng, and Eric Apoe; and mastered by Craig Bystrom.
Find more details and information here: https://ericapoeandthey.bandcamp.com/album/spectator
Musicians on the album are Eric Apoe on vocals, resonator guitar, djembe, 12 string guitar, organ, key bass, melodica, bass and guitar; Tige Decoster on bass; Miles Wiesel on guitar; Christine Gunn on cello; Steve Peterson on whistle, keyboard, plastic bucket and drums: Oren Sreebny on bass; Jin DeJoie on clarinet; Hugh Sutton on piano and accordion; Rumi Shimada on bass; Will Mapp on drums; Henry Cheng on guitar; Anne O’Neill on harmonies; Mark Nichols on string arrangement, Reggie Miles on saw; Alicia DeJoie on violin; Erika Jacobs on cello; Tari Nelson-Zager on violin; Saundrah Humphrey on viola; Dennis Rea on guitar; Paul Benoie on guitar; Matt Cameron on drums; Sarit Kleinman on electric guitar; Don Wilhelm on bass; William Mapp on drums; Maury Rosenberg on accordion; Aiko Shimada on harmonies; Ray Duncan on harmonies; Damien John Aitken on saxophone; Brent Moyer on bass, guitars and trumpet; Marc Season on trombone; Jude Johnstone on harmonies; Ron Raymond on pedal steel; Miles Wiesel on guitar; and Danny Godinez on electric guitar.