Mark Erelli - Milltowns

This album is a tribute to singer/songwriter Bill Morrissey, who passed away too young and too soon. Mark has interpreted these lovely sensitive songs in fine voice, with a gently picked guitar, singing lyrics that could speak to anyone. The song “Birches” tells the story of a marriage that’s cooling off like a fireplace needing wood. My God, anyone who has been married a long time could easily key into this insightful, painful song. If you’re prone to tears, you might start right here:

Let’s fill the stove with birches and watch as the fire burns bright
How long has it been?
I know it’s been quite a while
Pour yourself half a glass, and stay with me a little while
But Warren, he shook his head as if she made some kind of joke.
Birches? On a winter night? No we’ll fill the stove with oak.
Oak will burn as long and hot as a July afternoon.
Birch will burn itself out by the rising of the moon.
And you hate a cold house same as me – am I right or not?
All right, all right she said, it was just a thought.

The song “Letter from Heaven” is funny and sweet with a line about Abe Lincoln being able to see the end of the play. It ends with a heartfelt little yodel:

It’s a great life here in heaven,
it’s better than the bible said,
it’s a great life here in heaven,
it’s a great life when you’re dead.
And me I couldn’t be happier, oh the service here is fine.
They got dinner ready at half past nine and I’m going steady with Patsy Cline.
Just last night in a barroom I bought Robert Johnson a beer
Yeah I know everybody’s always surprised to find him here.

“Handsome Molly” is a gorgeous tune that makes me think of the songs of Townes Van Zandt or Leonard Cohen.

I park my cab on Water St.
Waiting for a fare,
Watching young girls in their first heels,
Step like colts across the square.

“Morrissey Falls in Love at First Sight” is a quick-rhyming, silly song of Bill's imagination going bonkers, making plans for the future with a person he doesn’t even know. Mark does a great job keeping up with the gentle strumming and rhyming.

My heart skipped a beat the moment you walked into the room
and in five seconds I was thinking bride and groom,
thinking man and wife,
never fell in love so fast in all my life.

This album is elusive and present and heart-awakening. The more I listened, the more it pulled up nostalgic feelings from my life.

It features wonderful support from all the contributing musicians: Sam Kassiser, Charlie Rose, Zack Hickman, Rose Cousins, Kris Delmhorst, Jeffrey Foucault, Anais Mitchell, Peter Mulvey and Rose Polenzani. I recommend buying this album, I recommend going to see Mark Erelli. He makes me want to buy the albums of Bill Morrissey, and I bless my good fortune for having heard this album. To find out more about Mark Erelli, visit his website at markerelli.com. [Click on image for larger view.]