Marianne Kesler: Press

Once again Marianne has inspired artists to be proud of who they are...

In the liner notes I can relate to how she described how sensitive an artist is and how differently we may feel things. I think this record is a step forward as an artist and as always has brilliant, poetic, lyrics. I like the atmospheric sounds in some of the songs that add to the mystery of what is Pear and the Pink Thing? The fascinating and intriguing thing is that the metaphor can mean different things to relate to different people- the best of both worlds. Great lyrics, great production, simply a great album. Oh, and I can't forget the Neil Young covers. I am usually not a fan of covers BUT Marianne made the songs her own. I think he would be proud she did them justice:)

CD : Pear in the Pink Thing (2007)
Artist: Marianne Kesler
Label: Indie
Length:12 tracks / 44:40 minutes

I first heard ‘Pear in the Pink Thing’ in its entirety online at the website Marianne has dedicated to her latest release www.pearinthepinkthing.com (what a great idea!). The website contains mp3’s of all songs on the album in their entirety. This is the sixth release for singer-songwriter & acoustic guitarist Marianne Kesler out of Ohio and, as her song ‘Catch Me If You Can’ suggests, she is not in the least slowing down musically-speaking.

‘Pear in the Pink Thing’ continues in some ways in the direction that her previous release ‘Green Room’ began; i.e. intelligent pop rock with Marianne’s poetic-folk sensibilities.

The opening track ‘Mystery’ is CD single material – a great upbeat song with a bridge that contains her raison d’etre or reason-for-being artistically-speaking – ‘Making (sweet) music from the inside out’. The song that keeps going around in my head is ‘Once More’ – striking lyrics and beautiful, almost-haunting music. Lyrics like that of the chorus: -
‘I will rise like the phoenix to fly once more,
On brave new wings that reach and soar.
And I’ll find what I was created for
Once more…Once more.’
God is the One Who purifies or refines us as He did with the prophet Isaiah with the application of burning coal to his lips by one of the seraphs. This song reminds me a little of ‘Unrefined’ – one of my favourites from ‘Green Room’ because of its sheer honest and openness. ‘Every Time’ could also be a CD single – I love the bluesy guitar accompaniment. ‘Still Small Sadness’, a radio-friendly ballad and a personal favourite, has a great lead break and a moving keyboard accompaniment that I swear sounds just like a cello.

‘Poets Dream’ has a great glockenspiel accompaniment. The song ends with a reference to the apostle Peter’s Pentecost Day message in which he quotes the prophet Joel’s prophecy about the increased outpouring of the Spirit in the last days: ‘Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.’ ‘2 O’clock’ appropriately has a musical accompaniment that actually sounds like the ticking of a clock. The fourth radio-friendly song of the album is ‘Big Love’. This is the (pardon the pun) big ballad of the album, just as ‘Melt Down’ was for the ‘Long Road Home’ album – one of my absolute fav ballads of all time (please excuse me for getting personal).

The CD clocks in at a nice 44 minutes and 40 seconds. As a kind of encore, Marianne finishes the album with two Neil Young songs – ‘Ohio’ & ‘The Needle & The Damage Done’ (a kind of tribute to her late father) – making an excellent album even better. As Marianne acknowledges, Neil Young’s music has been a significant influence in her life and these two remakes are a real treat for Neil Young fans – ones that Neil Young himself would be proud of.

What is evident from this release (as in previous releases) is the poetry, the musicianship & the production of these songs. These songs stand alone as poems in their own right (even without the music) – which can’t be said of a lot of today’s visually-dependant music. The cover art by Mellissa Rae Saffer is wonderful, as is the photography by Hoi. One would again have to tip the hat to J. Benjamin Kesler for his top-notch musicianship and production skills.

Frank Rasenberger September 2007
www.myspace.com/frankrasenberger
Rating: 5

Marianne Kesler's Pear in the Pink Thing
Reviewed by Marti Kramer Suddarth

Fans of Marianne Kesler (and those hearing her for the first time) will love her newest CD, the quirkily titled "Pear in the Pink Thing ." Ten original songs plus two Neil Young covers show off Marianne's cozy voice, her observant eye, and her poetic turn with words.

Like "Green Room," its predecessor, "Pear in the Pink Thing" features at-times-spare, acoustic guitar based instrumentals that occasionally hint at a late-1960's/early-1970's folk feeling, though less so than "Green Room," while sounding firmly grounded in the twenty-first century. Additional instrumentation is added more frequently than on "Green Room," yet in well-balanced doses. It's an intimate sound, perfectly coordinated with Marianne's voice, and easily reproduced on stage. The guitars are played by Marianne and son Benjamin, who also plays every other instrument on the tracks, except for drums on "Every Time," provides some of the background vocals, and serves as producer and engineer.

"Pear in the Pink Thing" is also more secular than "Green Room." The inclusion of both religious and secular themes is smooth and not the least bit contrived. The lyrics reflect a life that eats, drinks, breathes, sleeps, experiences joy and sorrow, falls in love, and feels frustration - events common to the human condition.

Although Marianne's own compositions are well-written and performed - particularly "Poets Dream" - the listener is given an extra treat at the end. Neil Young's "Ohio" and "The Needle and the Damage Done" are so well adapted to Marianne's style that she's made them her own.

This is Marianne Kesler's sixth album to date and is very much a collaboration with her son and producer J Benjamin Kesler who provides expert production and the majority of the instrumentation on this release. Proceedings kick off with the intriguing "Mystery" which showcases the laid back acoustic folk-tinged pop of an artist whose style is occasionally reminiscent of the likes of Edie Brickell and Nanci Griffith. Highlights include the slow blues of "Every Time" and the effectively simple song of reflection "2 O'clock" whilst "Still Small Sadness" appears to take on the thorny subject of depression complete with a delicious guitar solo from the aforementioned producer. Kesler provides an unpretentious and personal account of her faith through subtle references to God - most notably in "Once More" and "Poet's Dream" which reference the books of Isaiah and Joel - but this is done in way that will engage believer and non-believer alike. Only the insubstantial "Catch Me If You Can" lets the side down but the inclusion of two excellent Neil Young covers ("Ohio" and "The Needle & The Damage Done") round off what is another enjoyable release from the Ohio-based singer songwriter.