Being There – Review of ‘A Comfortable Pair’

Being There – An online Magazine Reviews ‘A Comfortable Pair’…

Reviewed by Russell Bartholomee

You know when you get a song stuck in your head, and it just won’t leave you alone? You’re trying to sleep and the melody keeps replaying, again and again. You wake up and find yourself humming that cool Moog keyboard part. In the shower, in the car, at work, you keep singing one little snippet of lyrics from the chorus. You know what I mean? That’s been happening to me a lot lately. And it’s Jeff Jones’ fault.

Who’s Jeff Jones? He’s the songwriter for The Jones Thing, the Dallas, Texas-based band whose songs are keeping me up nights. Fortunately for me, his songs are really good, so having them crammed in my cranium isn’t such a bad thing. The Jones Thing’s brand new record is called A Comfortable Pair, and it’s a smashing set of thirteen songs that demands to be played repeatedly. At times reminiscent of XTC, Sugar, and Trash Can Sinatras, the album is full of complex song structures, clever lyrics, and unstoppable hooks.

Besides penning the tunes, Jones plays rhythm guitar and provides the lead vocals—and does both exceptionally. His voice serves the material well and reminds me of a cross between Andy Partridge and whichever guy from The Barenaked Ladies can actually sing.

In spite of what the name may suggest, however, The Jones Thing is not a one-man band. He is joined on the record by band members Trey Carmichael (drums) and Eric Neal (lead guitar, bass, violin, vocals, kitchen sink). Both are veterans of the Dallas music scene, and both bring their considerable expertise to The Jones Thing. Carmichael plays drums perfectly to suit each song, eschewing the showboating that so many others can’t seem to avoid. And Neal’s violin work is only slightly less impressive than his excellent lead guitar work. The rest of A Comfortable Pair’s sonic landscape is filled out with the capable help of friends Chris Cannon and Carter Albrecht on keyboards. (Since the album’s release, bassist Joe Schwartzott and keyboardist Chris Holt have been added to the band’s lineup).

While there is no filler on the record, some songs shine a bit brighter than others. The album’s opener, “Electricitii,” (pronounced ‘electrici-tie’) is a fantastic piece of work, blending jangle-pop guitars with an ultracool keyboard riff that will force your toes to tap. This is the one that rattles around in my head in the wee small hours of the morning. Another stunning song is “More or Less.” Its melody, at first merely gorgeous, becomes breathtaking when the harmony vocals join the chorus. Neal’s lush violin perfectly compliments Jones’ sweeping vocals in “The Theater,” a song that could easily be found on a Trash Can Sinatras album. And there may not be a more hit-worthy song than “Saturday Morning TV Action Superstar,” though I can’t help but wonder if the 80s retro keyboard horn parts would be more effective with live horns.

Lyrically, the album is whip-smart and funny. “Margaret the Liar” describes a girl who never lets the truth get in the way of a good story (“Her ninety nationalities / Fifteen universities / And every job that’s known to man are hers”). Evidently a commentary on the current political landscape, “We Were Trained” is a very successful extended railroad metaphor (“We ride the blinds, conductor / Hides inside his steel caboose / And on the side the flagman’s / Waving no white flag of truce”). Jeff Jones turns a phrase well.

If I have a complaint about this record, it’s only that it could sound even better if this band had a record deal and financing for studio time with a top-notch producer. (Somebody sign these guys). That’s not to disparage the fine work of producer Paul Williams. In fact, for a self-financed independently produced record, A Comfortable Pair is really quite remarkable.

If you like your pop music intelligently written, with accomplished musicianship and hooky melodies that won’t quit, you should pick up this disc. And if we’re lucky, we’ll be able to look forward to further releases by this promising band. I hope so, because as good as A Comfortable Pair is, I’m already jonesing for more.