Paulcito is in a league of his own on his idiosyncratic new indie-rock album MVP — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The third full-length release from the eccentric and eclectic Rhode Island singer and songwriter (in the loosest sense of both those words), MVP is an album that can’t live by your petty little rules, man. It merrily thumbs its cocked snoot at musical convention and cultural trends, following its own twisted path down a musical rabbit hole that meanders between synth-pop, guitar-rock, psychedelia, garage-surf, art-damage and more genres yet to be discovered, identified and classified. What are they rebelling against? Whaddaya got?
What holds it all together — or as together as it ever gets — are Paulcito’s introspective, vulnerable vocals and stream-of-consciousness poems / lyrics / digressions / monologues about spy balloons, candlepin bowling, lost love and whatever else apparently pops into his noggin. Sometimes trippy, often perplexing, occasionally spooky but unfailingly intriguing, the nine-song album is an unpredictable fever-dream from start to finish — and a tantalizing glimpse into the surreal inner netherworld of a unique creative force.
Make that two creative forces. Paulcito, as a project in its current form, is actually Paul Reynolds plus Long Island musician and producer Carl Dennis. Paul sings, composes and creates most of the arrangements, while Carl does the rest. What you hear is what you get, as they say.
As for where they get it from, Paulcito has this to say about musical influences: “Not a huge number really, but everyone good is influenced by someone else good. As far as some of the bigger names past and present, I’m a fan of the likes of Pixies, Bowie, Jethro Tull, U2, The Doors, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Heart, The Police, Blondie, Blur, Laura Nyro, Steely Dan, XTC, Squeeze. Lesser-known but equally brilliant and important names would include the likes of Tom Vek, The Woodentops, Spookey Ruben, Wayne Gillespie, Knower, Daniel Boxx, Pale Honey, Jen Gloeckner, Claire Bradshaw — and my latest discovery, the totally awesome Jellyskin!
“You might gather that I lean towards the freaks when it comes to musical artistry,” he says. “But I do have a very soft spot for the very gentle and mannered America and especially for one of the loveliest songs ever recorded, A Horse With No Name. I’m also good with Herb Alpert — maybe that is where it really all started, running around the coffee table faster and faster to Zorba the Greek, as a little one.”
Enjoy the MVP experience below, watch the lyric video for Up The Wazoo above, and get your Greek and/or freak on with Paulcito at his website, Instagram and Facebook. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
