Title: Shining Stars
Artist: Pesh, Paulie
Label: CD Baby
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 635961175025
Genre: Folk

Don't let the blank stare from musician Paulie Pesh on the cover Shining Stars EP fool you; he's a man with mission. "I was a shy and introverted person growing up and I never knew how to communicate my thoughts. I knew what I wanted to say but couldn't get it out. I've been working a lot on that in my life and I guess it comes out like a flood in my music," says Pesh. A lifelong musician, Los Angeles native Paulie Pesh has been active and working in music since the age of 13 to his current age, 24. Evolving and growing all the while. Pesh's orchestral folk bridges the gap between too obscure (see "indie") and too brainless (see "generic acoustic pop"). Not too Sufjan, not too Dave Matthews, Pesh strikes a fine, accessible balance. Pesh finished his previous effort, Opportunities EP, one year ago at Earwitness studio in Whittier. "My palette has changed since then" says Pesh, who recently toured the US in support of Opportunities." I feel my writing has evolved, as well, but it is still from the same lenses that I wrote Opportunities". And by "this one", Pesh means his Shining Stars EP. A natural successor to Opportunities, Pesh expands his sonic palette, yet still includes the top-notch musicianship he's previously displayed. Amidst Pesh's orchestration, brass takes a significant position on Shining Stars. "Since I was a little one, I would steal all of my dad's Latin jazz records and listen to the tight horn lines and try to sing the melodies back. Even the band Chicago was introduced to my ears early in life." Horns do more than punctuate the songs. On "Trite & Overused", the horns act as primary accompaniment during the verse, providing the chord progression. "I've always loved more layers to music and think it's fun to bring different elements into my writing," Pesh says. Paulie Pesh stands at a precarious position: sincere, yet intelligent and accessible. Not marred by obtuseness, Pesh openly displays his hope and excitement. A multi-instrumental sound reminiscent of Paul Simon and Randy Newman, Pesh's most comparable contemporaries are Andrew Bird and Sufjan Stevens, though this is far from all encompassing. Hints of such influences peek their heads through at times, but Pesh's voice is strong and sincere. Few have the guts to be as blatantly hopeful as Pesh. When he sings "I believe in the power of love", he means it, and not as the vapid pop singer bleating lusts under the "love" banner. These are genuine expressions of hope and community. "I really want to communicate to people that life isn't terrible all the time," says Pesh.

Tracks:
1.1 Shining Stars
1.2 Why Kill the Writer
1.3 Not Gonna Run
1.4 Nothing Happened
1.5 Trite and Overused

Audio Sample:
All soundclips are provided by Tidal and are for illustrative purposes only. For some releases, the tracks listed may not accurately represent the tracks on the physical release.