Alex Greiner: Rags

Alex Greiner’s Rags is a short burst of avant-folk songs. With 5 songs at only 14 minutes, Greiner wanders back and forth between simple folk ditties and a few more ambitious song structures. The EP tends towards a hushed acoustic aesthetic with few surprises. It becomes clear that Greiner is a decent songsmith, but he still makes some missteps on the record.

The EP starts off with the conventional but catchy acoustic lullaby “Jumping into Gym.” A soft-loud (mostly soft) dynamic carries the song with the occasional off-key jolting acoustic riff to see if you’re awake. After a couple of verse-chorus cycles it enters into a trance for a minute or so before surrendering. The song is pretty good but it wouldn’t necessarily stand out much in a line-up of acoustic folk singer-songwriters.

Second song “Dans, Afrikaans” is a dirge disguised by a lively intro. Unfortunately, Greiner switches here to a nasally, styled voice that sounds more like an impression of someone else than an honest voice. The instrumentation is pretty good, waltzing on major-minor chord switches. A simple layer of accordion adds some variety, but nothing will surprise you much given the last 5 Decemberists albums. In the end, the vocals sink what would be a compelling song. It’s a shame — this song would be the best on the EP otherwise.

On the next song, “Out of Water,” you’d be forgiven for thinking there is a brand-new vocalist. In an unaffected, soft voice, Greiner strums through two minutes about a crayfish out of water and ponders the aftermath (“A lesson in every letter / What kind of dad would I be?”).

Just when you get comfortable with that voice, Greiner moves on to more stylized territory. “Quatrain” gives you a quick minute of minimalist community-theatre poetry in the form of as many slant rhymes as possible. The song sits in something of a no man’s land. It isn’t quirky enough to be a They Might Be Giants song, but it is clearly being playful with its language.

Finally, the jazzy “A Journey Spent in Telescope” sounds something like a David Garland song. This is one of the best songs on Rags, but it still feels a bit thin. I’d like to hear some cymbal swells, some snare rolls, something to spark some life into the song. Greiner has an opportunity at the end during a compelling round (“I see a little of myself in that kid / Remind him his place or he’ll go how I did”) as he adds some brass to the equation, but the song peters out just when it had the chance to blossom really nicely.

There’s definitely some creativity exhibited here, but it still needs a little work. What little percussion is there doesn’t add much to keep you awake even in such a short EP. If Greiner can find his voice and a backing band he may be onto something.

Purchase: http://alexgreiner.bandcamp.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/alexgreiner