The Pelican’s Perch

The first thing most of you may think when you hear New Buffalo, aka Sally Seltmann, is how much she sounds like Feist.  Well, to beat you to the punch, I thought the same thing and found out she co-wrote “1, 2, 3, 4″ with Feist, so it only makes sense her album Somewhere, Anywhere sounds very similar to Feist’s new one.  It’s not as upbeat as “1, 2, 3, 4″, but overall is a happier sounding album than Feist’s.  All Feist comparisons aside though, this is simply a lovely album full of piano and Seltmann’s beautifully calm voice.  “Cheer Me Up Thank You” starts the album in the most Feist way possible, with simple, finger-picked guitar and Feist-like falsetto, later accompanied by piano, bass, and “bum bum’s” sung in harmony in the background.  As the album progresses, the more I found myself smiling and bobbing my head like it was the beginning of Spring all over again and birds were outside chirping gleefully.  It’s that kind of album.  Most of the album is just Sally singing over her piano playing, but the various effects she puts on her piano sound, along with the backing singers, make the album feel much more full than it probably should.

Stand-outs include the previously mentioned album opener “Cheer Me Up Thank You”, the song’s biggest feeling song in “It’s True”, the song that sounds most like it’s name suggests “Emotional Champ”, and the beautifully gentle “Versary”.  Honestly though, they’re all just great and each stand-out for one reason or another, so just do yourself a favor and get your hands on New Buffalo’s Somewhere, Anywhere…um….somewhere, anywhere.  (c’mon, you knew I had to do that)

01 Cheer Me Up Thank You [mp3]

02 It’s True
03 City And Sea (Lady Nameless)
04 Stay With Us
05 Emotional Champ [mp3]

06 You’ve Gone My Friend
07 Versary
08 I’m The Drunk And You’re The Star
09 It’s Got To Be Jean
10 Misery And Mountains, Arrows And Bows
11 Lobe Limbique

Cheer Me Up Thank You video

(Here’s the official one put out by the label.  I just like that one a lot more for some reason, so I posted it.  Both are great, I just like the unofficial one slightly better)

Official Site / Myspace / Buy Somewhere, Anywhere