Pied Piper
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
Dave Cope is a man with many talents, and on this sophomore album he handles vocals, guitar, drum programming, percussion, strings, keys, midi instruments and even bass. Penned mostly during quarantine and recorded at his home, thematically Pied Piper surrounds the current political state, social strife and even romance as Cope and company create a very atypical version of folk sounds.
Cope starts the listen with the warm and poetic folk-fueled title track, where his sincere singing aligns well with the acoustic guitar in a tune about conspiracy theories, and “Jerusalem Jerusalem” follows with Cope hitting some high notes alongside a bare, dreamy climate that tips it hat to the James Carroll book of the same name.
Nearing the middle, “Ways Of Love” brings sparse but impactful percussion into the ballad delivery, while “Come One Of These Mornings” flirts with blues ideas as Ron Sunshine lends his harmonica talent to the rootsy flavor. “The Great Theatre Of The World” then offers one of the fullest tunes, where elegant strings enter a very diverse landscape in a song that was originally written for a play that was called off due to the pandemic.
“To A Dreamer”, an old tune that Cope put a fresh layer of paint on, arrives near the end and sounds right at home in the ‘70s folk scene, and the reprise version of “Pied Piper” exit the listen with Cope’s playful strumming and comforting pipes mixing well together.
Often taking hints at music from much earlier decades, Pied Piper still sounds very much like a modern folk album, both lyrically and musically, and the subtle moments of psychedelia, pop and rock make him yet another outstanding musician from Philadelphia that we all should be spending plenty of time with.
Travels well with: Jesse Malin- Outsiders; Alex Chilton And Hi Rhythm Section- Boogie Shoes: Live On Beale Street