Throw Me To The Statue Moonbeams by: Anna Rees Tue:05-Feb-08 Label: Secretly Canadian Year: 2008 WB rating 79 out of 100

“I’m trapped in the middle of a labyrinth” singer Scott Reitherman declares on ‘Yucatan Gold’, track seven on Throw Me The Statue’s debut album, Moonbeams. And indeed he is. Which way to go - electro-pop, gritty garage rock or dreamy, melodic pop? Well, why not fuse all of them together and add in a dash of expressive lyricism for good measure.

Though “band” status is declared on their Myspace page, Seattle based Throw me the Statue (TMTS) is essentially a one man project for the almost annoyingly talented multi-instrumentalist Reitherman (who sings and plays most of the instruments). TMTS has expanded recently to include other instrumentalists and backing singers both in live performances and in the studio. The album mixes synthesizer, guitar, percussion, glockenspiel, accordion, trumpet, sax and clarinet among many other instruments, the result being a tight melange of sounds that at times, if not for the obvious musicianship of the players and the controlled composition of Reitherman, teasingly almost teeters into cacophony.

As such, Moonbeams is a collection of lyrically contemplative and sometimes wistful songs, driven by infectious tunes, solid percussion and synth overlays. What starts out as a summery pop record finishes up a soulful composition, as TMTS takes the listener on a fuzzed-out, electro-fused journey of longing and resolution, reflection and realisation.

Reitherman’s lyrics can be downright fun and playful, such as on standout track, the very catchy ‘Lolita’. The track’s intro (featuring one of the most uplifting musical techniques – handclaps!) hits you like that first hint of lust, a subject to which this song pays homage. Mixing chiming glockenspiel with an upbeat tempo  (and of course driven by those ever-present, happy handclaps), the song throws back to the notion of completely losing your head in desire and the longing that resides as it sweeps past you in a whirlwind, as Reitherman moans “every night I pray, she comes ‘round my house to stay”.

In contrast, his lyrics can at other times portray the artist as a speculative individual. On track six, ‘About to Walk’, Reitherman sings about waiting for the road ahead. The song builds with a driving drum beat and takes the listener on a fuzz-drenched organ journey of crashing instrumentation. As such each song is its own oeuvre, with the musical arrangements changing direction at the drop of a hat. Acoustic pop guitar one moment, electro synthesizer manifesto the next.

The sharp, gravel-like synth on ‘Yucatan Gold’ underlines the darker tone of the middle tracks of the album and lyrics such as “I’ll have revenge with an honest hand when she’s buried neck down in that golden sand” demonstrate Reitherman’s acerbic attitude towards a girl who turns out to be a “lion in disguise”. Similarly, towards the end of the album the tempo slows down and the songs are stripped down musically, allowing for poignant instrumentation and solos, slowly grinding Moonbeams’ genre transitions to a halt.

There seems to be some hype and momentum building around TMTS and this album is testament to this. Reitherman has managed to reach into many different directions to glean inspiration and pull together a diverse range of sounds, and in doing so has demonstrated his unique composition skills. In no way does this album pigeon hole TMTS into one music “genre” or style, as Reitherman effortlessly displays his talent to tackle a variety of musical styles and instruments. Moonbeams is a well-crafted debut from TMTS, its openness and variation suggesting Reitherman’s musical future is wide and tantalisingly undefined.