It is the misdirected fate of artistic expression to be doomed to have the audience impose its own thoughts, ideas, emotions, et cetera, upon the canvas already filled. And so, without so much as a moment of doubt, I declare the first of a series of singles Papa M is slated to release in the next year or so, while Pajo is busy paying the bills with Zwan, to be a release filled with sadness and mourning. Why? Because I will be deprived of Papa M.
Of the three songs included the first, "Flashlight Tornado" is both the simplest and the strongest. It's Pajo singing with an acoustic guitar, occasional vocal overdubs, a brief harmonica breakdown, and a couple of keyboard flourishes, which are, fortunately, not too obtrusive, given their extraordinary cheesiness (think aHA). It has a light melody delivered with the sweetness and ache of a great love song, and it showcases well Pajo's talents as a songwriter.
The second track, "Beloved Woman," is built around a cello and violin accompaniment to Pajo's vocals, with only sparse guitar. It is a slow, brooding dirge, and, while not bad, seems a bit underdone, and moves towards a climax that is as predictable as it is satisfying (as they say, there is a reason for conventions in expression). Though this is certainly not his best work, it is far from unpleasant.
The final track, "I Am The Light of This World," is a cover, which, stylistically, makes it stand apart from the others. It has more a sense of condemnation, than the sense of loss that permeates the other two tracks. Also, it's the most poorly written, suffering from a repetitive chorus that drags out too long, making the whole song feel overwrought and tedious. Otherwise the song is only notable for a cool sitar track that underpins Pajo's acoustic guitar.
In sum, two of the three songs are quite good. More importantly, though, this is, quite frankly, all the Papa M we are going to get for the next while, so you might as well make the best of it.
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