Glass Eye
Posted July 2004

MAGGIE, PIERCE & EJ
Gold (EMP)
4.0 EYES

These indie veggie peaceniks are back with their fifth album. With understated lyrics and clever production, Gold is a shiny, happy, lovely effort sure to be adored by this Pennsylvanian trio�s fans.

Live, MPE are communists, swapping instruments between � and sometimes during � their songs.  It�s not uncommon for Maggie to start on guitar and end up on the drums, for EJ to rock the bass and then play mandolin, and Pierce to play drums and then grab his Strat.  Musically, they range from sparkling alternative rock, gritty Honky-tonk stompers, hard swing, and Zappa-style mindfucks.

On this disc, their instrumental roles are a bit stricter, but they do share writing and vocal roles.  Maggie starts it off with �Flame,� a Burt Bacharach-inspired AM gold tune, complete with smooth trumpet solo. Pierce offers up �Back,� a meditative piece with a Beatlesque harmonica lead, and EJ sings �Jaded,� a live favorite that deals with spurned love in a devilish vaudeville setting.  But this triumvirate doesn�t act alone: swirling around their core of guitar, bass, and drums are musicians like TubaDan, DJ Take 1 Willie, and saxophonist Gene of the Skanatras.  Their collaboration with Ekendra Dasa on harmonium and Gabriel Deadwyler on tabla results in �Dagger,� a qawwali song that would make the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan smile.

Gold's best moments come on �Mr. Moon� and �Visit Me� -- �Moon� is pure MPE, with its Brian Wilson production and EJ�s tasty bass solo.  If this indie band released a single, this would be it.  ï¿½What the world needs now,� they remind those of us who have forgotten, �is love.�  Lastly, �Visit Me� is Maggie�s most sublime vocal moment.

This disc is their best to date.  It retains the heartbreaking emotion of Maggie�s singing on For and Pierce�s brilliant guitar playing straight from the Red album.  But, of all three, EJ is hitting his peak: his singing, bass, keys, and mandolin playing perfectly support the songs.  All in all, Gold is worth its weight in... er, gold.

- Robert Gehl