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Mike Park Saves Me From My Slump
For The Love of Music
For a guy who does way too much research before a record store visit, I have strangely been rendered incapable of buying a CD that I actually enjoy. Must be some sort of bug going around. My usual music-buying prep consists of visiting the websites of bands and labels I dig and the perusing of other music related sites (InSound.com, Epitonic.com and Tower Records) to hear song snippets, download MP3s and view band photos (must make sure they don't look like a bunch of tools). Seems I haven't been listening close enough to
the samples because my most recent purchases have let me down. Be warned: I'm about to slag some of your favorite artists before I get to Mr. Park, so please stay with me.
Trying to change things up, I've been keeping it mellow of late and it's just not working out. The recent offerings by South, Rachel's and The Frames were very disappointing. Rachel's have become way too deconstructive for their own good which is sad because they are capable of great things (Music For Egon Schiele is the most beautiful CD ever). The soporific Frames just aren't my cup of tea and South has one great song ("Motiveless Crime") and that's it. I tried to be a Bell and Sebastian
guy but the twee chirpiness of their new release would be better suited for a Hugh Grant romantic comedy, not my headphones. Death Cab's latest? Good, but not as awe-inspiring as it should be.
Want more disappointments? Or are you already too angry with my glaring lack of taste? The Wrens traded in their frenetic energy for low-fi, challenging rock on their latest Meadowlands. Boo! Get out of your living room and head back into the studio with a quality producer and learn to rock again! The Shins, beloved by all, are okay in small doses but a little too much goofy sunshine for me. (You too The Thrills!) So just when I was about to give up on the less rocking, sweet and softy stuff,
I picked up Mike Park's For the Love of Music and found some much needed succor.
And Now For The Love...
Park—the busy man behind Asian Man Records, Plea for Peace Foundation and his band The Chinkees—has just put out his first solo acoustic CD. It's a wonderfully moving piece of personal reflection that captivates from the get-go. Avoiding the gentle plucking and low-key delivery of many of today's balladeers, Park injects the spark and attitude of his ska/punk roots and serves up an impassioned
effort bristling with energy and earnestness. There's an edge and urgency to his otherwise smooth vocals that fit perfectly with the heavy topics he tackles: racism, violence, separation, death, self-doubt, growing old and of course, love. Fear not, despite the subject matter, this is by no means a downer. Park infuses enough catchy melodies and light-hearted licks to keep things at an even keel.
Like most of you non-folkie types, I'm usually wary of all-acoustic CDs. They tend to start sounding all the same after the fifth or sixth song. Not here. Park changes tempos often and easily from brooding and sullen ("Counting Sheep") to poppy and rocking ("On that Stage" and "Hey You"). Adding to his prominent pipes and guitar, Park mixes in solid backing vocals (his own), light percussion and some subtly emotive cello and violin. The haunting strings on "Supposed to Be There Too" and "Thankfully All The Same" contrast Park's
aggressive strumming and work nicely together to cast a serious vibe where his poignant words demand the listener's immediate attention. The stark and powerful "Challenging Me" and the foreboding sway of "Southbound 280" hit you hard and stay with you long after the next track begins.
Park's fervor and delivery call to mind his contemporaries Jeff Ott and Pedro the Lion while happily reminding you of his folk rock predecessors like John Wesley Harding and Billy Bragg. The Bay area native gives you an honest and open glimpse into his life as an activist, an aging punk and an Asian-American ("From Korea" and "Present Day Memories") who is just trying to do his own thing—putting out good music and promoting peace—and call attention to some evils and ugliness along the
way.
No heavy handedness or "poor me" sulking here though. Through all the tumult and uncertainty he dishes out in his sometimes clear and sometimes obtuse lyrics, you get the feeling that it's nothing he can't handle and more than likely, it drives him—and his DIY punk ethos—to keep charging along in good spirits. It's abundantly clear Park loves music and loves helping people. We should all be so inclined and inspired.
Feel good about buying tunes again! Part of the proceeds of this fine CD will be donated to Plea for Peace Foundation. A non-profit organization promoting the ideas of peace through the power of music. Right on!
JL
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