Quiet as a Mouse sits between the worlds of the singer-songwriter and the full indie band experience. It’s an interesting place from which to work because if the latter is more about groove, infectiousness, and easy accessibility, the former revels in songcrafting smarts and lyrical depth. Balancing the two approaches is an art in its own right, one that QAAM has honed to perfection.
And Nostalgia is fine…but…, the second album from Alex Moran under this name, ebbs and flows brilliantly between the deftness of one and the drive of the other, but also proves that as a lyricist he has a great way with words, personal and relatable, worldly wise and often witty.
“Miss Melody” is the perfect opening salvo, with swirling guitar riffs coalescing into a slow, seductive indie-pop piece, and “Peter Pan” is darker, more emotional, and empowering. At the other end of the spectrum is “From…To,” a Sparklehorse-esque cool coming together of musical understatement and poignant, melancholic storytelling.
“The Man I Am” is a glorious racket, garage-rock chops meets power-pop groove meets Lou Reed vibes, and yet, having experienced more than half of the album, feeling totally in keeping with what has gone before, adventurous and yet sounding as resolutely QAAM as anything that has gone before.
And that is the art of it, I guess. It’s okay to wander the musical map; it is great to tap into your own inspirations and echo your influences, and it is imperative to keep pushing boundaries and offer something new, something that is both familiar and fresh. But if you can do all that and still forge a signature sound within all of those mercurial and moving parts, display a consistent sonic style, expose a unique and creative musical personality, you might just end up with an album half as good as Nostalgia is fine…but…
Perhaps!
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