By: Kevan Breitinger
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Reinventing the Wheel
Indie
Folk
12-11-2007
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SCORE
90%
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It’s not that I think Andy Gullahorn’s stunningly eloquent songs will cure cancer or save the world. They’re not for everyone, truth be told. In fact, the acoustic simplicity of Reinventing the Wheel, and its lack of tempo diversity, pretty much insures a smaller audience. But oh, the joys and thrills ahead for that thoughtful audience!
Gullahorn’s genius, and yes, I meant to use that word, is in his piercingly insightful portrayals of humanity, in all our darkness and light. Ultimately, his perspective is a positive one, but only and always by grace. When he closes Reinventing the Wheel with the earthy and romantic love song “Give It Time,” he includes his wife’s exasperating foibles that once grated on his nerves. But it’s clear that those same foibles have become surprisingly precious to him. And he’s equally hard on himself, if not more. The poignant “More of a Man” takes an unflinching look at Gullahorn’s morphing interpretation of manhood, as well as his morphing waistline. When he takes aim at the failures of the church in the melodic but telling “Holy Ground,” it’s impossible to argue his point. In fact, Gullahorn manages to make every point, even the most unattractive, with an appealing warmth. The deadly lyrics of “That Guy” are juxtaposed over the gentlest acoustics, which only adds to the potency of its simple chorus: God loves that guy. When he cleverly condemns a wasted life in the organic opener “Original Cliché,” there’s still a tenderness to his dead-on perception.
Gullahorn’s guitar chops are not inconsequential, but he chooses to go minimal in most of these eleven tracks, adding only the occasional embellishment (David Henry’s lovely-as-always cello on the glimmering “Desperate Man” or his own banjo on “Original Cliché”). He only stretches out vocally here and there (the gentle “Alright Here” and “More of a Man,” a fearless look at what makes a man). But his lyrical are quite often profound and always entertaining (LOVED “quick as a guillotine” on the delightful “Roast Beef”). Gutsy and gorgeous, Reinventing the Wheel is must-have.
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