Pernice Brothers: Who Will You Believe

Death, the great equalizer, reared its head three times in six months during 2019, casting a pall over recording any new Pernice Brothers material. Joe Pernice needed to find new ways to cope. The fact that his cousin died of cancer and then two friends took their own lives is not exactly a great recipe for an upbeat, life-affirming collection. Ultimately, he found his way, recording Who Will You Believe. More than an album, it’s a lesson in never taking anything for granted.

Despite the bleak circumstances, having been writing for 25 years, Pernice knows how to construct lyrics. The irony of “Who Will You Believe” begins with the first few lines, “I knew a beggar/ Who said she heard a higher calling/ She bought a jet plane/ Even though the sky was falling,” is difficult to ignore. The crack of the snare opens to ringing guitars, with Pernice taking up the call of making sure that nothing is presumed to be a given. Even surrounded by constant madness, hope can still be a refuge.

There’s still plenty of bile to be spilled amidst the blazing electric guitar of “Not This Pig.” Singing to a former lover he comments on her current condition, “Once an undiscovered star/ You’re just another clown/ Crammed in a tiny car.” His embarrassment at her situation is clear to everyone listening. Guitar blazes to the ending while Pernice’s voice sings in a soft, subtle range. He finds ways to blend the bitter and the sweet, highlighting the irony he sees. “What We Had” showcases his closely mic-ed vocals with a gently hypnotic musical bed, while the lyrics reveal the sadness of a relationship on the way to dissolution. “Oh, call it tragic for the way a spotlight brights the cruel and not the kind.”

Swells of strings and brass elevate “December in Her Eyes,” leading into the hurdy gurdy-ish waltz of “A Song for Sir Robert Helpmann,” strings turning the song into a period piece for a romantic movie. “Hey, Guitar” offers up blasting rock beat with solos matching the mood. Proving that rock and strings can coexist, the duet with Neko Case on “I Don’t Need That Anymore” delivers a mutual kiss-off, “Oh, you could charm a dead man from his coffin/ And leave him begging on the floor/ I’m glad I had it when I needed it/ I don’t think I need that anymore.”

In an album full of classic songs, nothing equals the vision of “The Purple Rain.” Simply strummed acoustic guitar opens the song, while it ends with an acoustic piano and Pernice’s voice. Along the way brass, strings and an orchestral arrangement come to the fore. Nothing, however, matches the majestic swell of Toronto’s Choir! Choir! Choir! Doubled, again and again until there are 300 voices in the mix, it is unsurpassed in its acceptance of living in the moment and seizing each day.

Joe Pernice has mastered his craft. He knows what his voice can do and lives within its limitations. He has refused to compromise on the sounds that he hears inside his head and has found ways to bring them to life. Who Will You Believe startles in its ability to give voice to his dreams.