Check Him Out:
Friday, Aug. 23 at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn with Sleepwalkers and Freedy Johnston
What’s The Big Deal?
Donnelly was a founding member of prolific indie rock band The Figgs, which was peddling crunchy ’90s-sounding power pop as recently as last year, with the release of The Day Gravity Stopped. Back in 1994, when The Figgs released Low-Fi At Society High, Donnelly was sneering through songs about riding the bus and his favorite shirt. He’s come a long way since then – marriage and kids will do that to you, I guess – and this year released Face The Bird – his most “grown up”-sounding album to date – under his own name.
How’s The Latest Album?
Face The Bird begins with the chirp of Pete Donnelly’s 4-year-old son, a fitting opening for an album that is playful and colorful as a child’s toy. In contrast to The Figgs’ punchiness, Face The Bird is softer around the edges, with warm acoustic guitars and bouncy piano making for a bright, easy listen that nonetheless maintains the pop sensibility of his former band. The album especially benefits from the involvement of producer Tony Reyes (TLC, CeeLo Green) whose work gives the album a rich, subtly experimental sound.
What People Are Saying:
“His new record displays the same sort of effortless eclecticism that Donnelly and his Figgs mates have been serving up for years.” –The Boston Globe
“In a solo context, Donnelly is demonstrably more nuanced and lucid, adopting a sonic penchant that affords his songs exponentially more breathing room than the often volatile power pop of his main gig.” –Willfully Obscure
