Portland Singer-Songwriter Myrrh Larsen Makes a Smashing Debut
Sep 29 '04
Pros
Fantastic writing, performance, and lyrics...
Cons
Too short...
The Bottom Line
Larsen is a talented guy. His debut Unstrung proves that not all singer-songwriters are cut from the same mold.
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Delicate, emotional and stark Myrrh Larsen makes an impressive debut with Unstrung. Larsen combines beautiful acoustic melodies with lovely boyish although dimly lit vocals. The exclusive use of unplugged instruments is refreshing. His bittersweet songs are fascinating.
Unstrung, co-produced by Larsen and Steve Diamond, is a rich and organic piece. It comes and goes on a breeze. At first, the songs are innocuous but their chilly undercurrent sticks with me long after the all-too-brief album concludes. I have nothing but positive to say about Unstrung. In fact, Larsen strikes me as something of a musical lovechild between Grant-Lee Phillips and Elliott Smith. Comparing the Portland, Oregon singer-songwriting talent to those names is no stretch—he boasts the kind of music that could easily end up breaking through to the mainstream with no need for compromise.
Larsen leaves no room for error on his debut with just seven included tracks. Not only didn’t he leave himself any wiggle room, he actually didn’t need any. The songs speak for themselves as far as quality, entertainment value, and performance go. On all three counts I find myself impressed. Not only that, the album also has great replay value. My only wish is that there would have been more songs here. Larsen whets my appetite, but doesn’t entirely follow up on his promise. My only hope is that he will sooner than later give the world another album.
In any case, I cannot complain about the seven songs that are included. They are all fantastic and evocative and intelligent and laced with a somber tone which sets the artist apart from most of his contemporaries. There are innumerable singing talents, but real writing and performing prowess very rarely. It is on songs like Lullaby With Eyes Closed, Here in My Arms and Let Me In that I find myself gazing upon Larsen’s talent in awe. Even on the cover of Blondie’s classic Call Me, Larsen shines. In fact, I think it is on this odd album ender that we see exactly what direction the singer-songwriter is headed. He manages to take a fabulous New Wave classic and turn it into a heartbroken acoustic opus. Larsen is indeed a very skilled performer.
However I think his original songs are the best offerings (even if Call Me is immediately recognizable). In particular, Lullaby With Eyes Closed (goodnight moon mix) and Here in My Arms strike a chord with me. The former oozes sensuality and emotion while Larsen’s lyrics are lovely—in particular the pseudo-poppy chorus:
When it’s dark and the dim light
Holds something of your reflection,
when I’m cold and alone,
and some distant recollection
sings through me,
sings through me.
Here in My Arms juxtaposes a lovely, delicate melody with Larsen’s boyish-yet-jaded voice. This is where he seems most comfortable. For fans, it is where they will be drawn into this album and no longer able to turn back. Myrrh Larsen is the perfect artist for people who appreciate great song writing and fantastic performance. I have no doubt that the man I’ve come to appreciate on Unstrung comes across just as honestly on stage. Now my only hope is that he will follow his debut with something even more striking.
Basically, if you already enjoy singer-songwriters and acoustic pop-rock with a dark tinge than Larsen’s debut is for you. Get it. Love it. Curl up with it. Most of all, enjoy it.
Rating: 4/5
Track Listing:
01. Theme Song from Unstrung
02. Lullaby With Eyes Closed
03. Here in My Arms
04. January
05. Let Me In
06. Lullaby With Eyes Closed (goodnight moon mix)
07. Call Me
Recommended:
Yes
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![Unstrung [Digipak] by Myrrh Larsen](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/c7/a0/4c/2002279073-177x150-0-0.jpg)
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