Joe Pernice
Oran Mor, Glasgow
27/01/2010

By the time Joe Pernice takes to the stage, his audience, scattered throughout the half-empty venue, has endured thirty minutes of support artist Astrid Williamson’s turgid, sub-wine bar warblings. It’s a Wednesday night and the atmosphere within the Oran Mor’s basement is one of frustration, fatigue and anti-climax. Best known for his work with the Pernice Brothers, their titular frontman has by now earned a place within the pantheon of supremely gifted pop craftsmen. If the tension between Pernice’s dark, disarmingly frank lyrics and his warm, honey-coated vocals doesn’t win over the audience, then his irresistible hooks ought to.

‘Endless Supply’ proves a captivating opener, the mid-tempo ballad serving as a perfect introduction to the performer’s voice, both as a singer and lyricist. Stripped of the cello that adorns its recorded arrangement, the track’s bittersweet lyrics are laid bare before the audience, Pernice resignedly cooing “there is no meaning in my life” over its bridge. It’s a treat to hear his material presented so starkly. Next comes ‘Chicken Wire’ which Pernice explains is about his friend who committed suicide by asphyxiating herself in her garage. It’s a real gamble to perform the song so early on in the set, though the troubadour’s dry sense of irony and sharp attention to detail see to it that the audience remains engaged throughout. More of the same follows.

If there lies a fault in Pernice’s set, it’s that his coveted up-tempo numbers are conspicuous in their absence. His deadpan remarks between songs are charming and frequently hilarious, while previews of upcoming album ‘Goodbye Killer’ prove his songwriting to be as sardonic and tuneful as ever. Taken on their own terms, every original track performed can be considered an unsung gem. By the end of the night, however, the audience simply hasn’t been subjected to enough variety in tone or mood, having withstood a set that was both brilliant and exhausting in equal measure, and it becomes clear why Pernice favours ornate pop arrangements on record.

Lewis Porteous