Love, Execution Style - One-Time Pad
(Gleet and Gumma)
Hearing "All Dressed Up in Dreams" on a commercial for American Eagle Outfitters reminded me that this great DIY release had somehow slipped through the cracks of fakejazz's massive promo redistribution infrastructure. It's interesting that despite the fact that Mary Timony sings on this Stephin Merritt penned track (part of The Sixths' first and best album Wasps' Nests), it is instantly identifiable as from Merritt. It's also interesting how listening to the first track on Love, Execution Style's album, One-Time Pad, it is instantly identifiable as being influenced by Merritt. Opening with a fast-paced ukulele strum and sad, despondent lyrics about the loneliness of a business trip, one man band Ernest Paik matches the loneliness of The Charm of the Highway Strip. Paik's mastery of a multitude of instruments strengthens the song (as well as the rest of the album) as the ukulele gives way to processed keyboard, electric guitar, strings, drums, horns, etc., etc., etc. creating a full tapestry of sounds.
Showcasing the care of DIY music from 10 or 15 years ago, One-Time Pad is an elaborately packaged CDR, coming with a hotel "Do Not Enter" sign instead of a booklet, some sleeping pills, and a warning against taking those sleeping pills, cleverly matching some of the themes of the record. The album's themes of loneliness and sadness are approached
with equal depression and humor. While Merritt certain has a dry wit, Paik is much more prone to be silly. A great example is "Oceania" which sounds just off in the first verse—like a below-grade home recording—but when the lyrics about the cordless phone being almost dead register, Paik reveals his quirky genius, not unlike Nothing Painted Blue's Franklin Bruno. Despite this silliness, much of One-Time Pad is morose and angry, dealing with both breakups and loneliness with a forked tongue. For example, the pastoral "Ex" is a post-breakup apology that replaces Stuart Murdoch's coy demeanor with genuine ballsiness.
It comes as no surprise that some of Paik's songs sound similar to the Magnetic Fields as Paik maintains the Stephin Songs website: a source of Merritt information, lyrics, and tabs. Much like Merritt, Paik loves are pop songs and experimental music—an oxymoronic pairing— but while Merritt is most comfortable in pop, Paik is most comfortable creating experimental music. In true DIY fashion, Paik quickly ends some pop songs once the hook and purpose are put down, never finding time to add a second verse or revisit a guitar theme. When Paik works without vocals, though, he lets himself explore more, finding both beauty (the sweeping string arrangement "Farewell" which stands as the album's best track) and mayhem (the crazy guitar shards of "Must Destroy Mankind" which sound both like metal and funk but not like funk-metal).
Perhaps Paik leaves his pop songs so short because they are so personal. As bonus tracks, Paik includes 8 songs that were commissioned by other people, charging the hefty fee of $5 (note that Paik's commissioned music project predates Momus' by a little bit). Not including the theme song for Wrestling Mayhem Federation and the commercial for computer store The Wizard of DOS, these commissioned songs are much more complete (or else maybe people'd ask for their $5 back), covering a variety of styles, and allowing Paik to be more outrageous. Paik references Darth Vader to celebrate someone completing their PhD in the new wave "Faster Than a Calculator," and he rhymes llamas and Dylan Thomas in a tribute to Isaac Ramos in the New Order-esque "Punk Rock Comedian." In an odd coincidence, Paik is even asked to do a song that is like the Magnetic Fields, and he creates the biting post-breakup sarcasm of "Not a Word" (taking the dump-ee position as opposed to "Ex"'s dump-er), with great lyrics like "Welcome to Dumpsville, population: you."
While most of Paik's pop songs leave you wanting more—another verse or another few bars—his musicianship, skill in sound creation, and sense of humor are all top notch, making this a varied and interesting album. In true DIY fashion, you won't find this anywhere but straight from the creator at his home-spun label's website gg.wiw.org, where you can find not just this release but 14 years of back catalog.
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