SITTING TARGET MUSIC

THE REVIEW FLOODS IN!

Our first review, from the excellent Leonard's Lair

Review: Penguin Party - See Thru Songs
Published April 13. 2008
http://leonardslair.wordpress.com/

About a month ago I got an E-mail from Essex-based musician Dave Milligan, who happens to be one-third of Arco; a fine band whose brand of quiet, melancholic rock has thus far produced two albums' worth of new material. Sadly, there's no news of Arco's third long player yet but thankfully Mr. Milligan's own solo project. Penguin Party, has produced an equally fine record, albeit one which distances itself away from the artist's usual band.
 
Although 'See Thru Songs' certainly doesn't stick to a tried and trusted formula, it certainly echoes the British new wave scene. 'Elephant's Graveyard' and I'm Ready For My Closeup, Mr Demille' are the songs which most recall the intelligent left-field pop of Squeeze but 'Goin' Back To Grandma's' reminds me, rather disturbingly, of The Wurzels. Of  the other noteworthy moments, there's an uptempo, punkier version of the Arco original 'Lullaby', 'United State Of Grace' is a lovely, hopeful finale whilst 'Someone Else's Turn' toys with funk. His best moment, though, occurs two tracks in. With its old-fashioned instrumentation and Milligan's impressive aching vocal, 'Before I Go Away' compares very favourably to the work of The Montgolfier Brothers. Admittedly, 'See Thru Songs' doesn't fit easily into the modem agenda but it's highly tuneful and charming, with just the right air of quirkiness to rank it as one of the better nostalgically-flavoured records of recent times.

Further Listening: Arco, Squeeze

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From Notlame.com:

What cool, engaging release – but for the reasons most albums hit me well ‘n good! This one is not a rocker, not particularly sprightly and light-in-the-toes, but it has a hypnotic quality that pulls you in. Dave Milligan is not playing it safe with his pop inspirations with his healthy love of early Squeeze, Nick Lowe and Martin Newell, it’s a distinctively British take on pop craftmenship but it works extremely well on “See Thru Songs”.

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From Koolkatmusik.com:

Very catchy, very charming, and very extremely British effort from Dave Milligan who is also a member of Arco, a band whose brand of quiet, melancholic rock has thus far produced two albums' worth of new material.  Penguin Party is the guise under which Dave has produced a "solo" effort of sorts. The rootsy "Goin' Back To Grandma's" is a Kinks (circa "Muswell Hill") and more recent Nick Lowe-inspired sing-along!  The chirpy and jangly "She Smells" is another "Argybargy"-influenced song!   The vocal interplay throughout recalls the Difford/Tillbrook dynamic of Squeeze.  EXCELLENT!!!

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From http://www.powerpopaholic.com/

 

Penguin Party "See Thru Songs"

Dave Milligan's solo project Penguin Party is sure to appeal to fans of Martin Newell, with it's very English nostalgic music hall pop. It opens with the quirky "Someone Else's Turn To Be Me" a swirling mass of organ and cymbals with a smooth bassline driving the song along. The follow up is a reverb heavy ballad "Beaten, Black and Blue" with a bit of "Fool on The Hill" flute it makes a compelling listen. "Just Like A Chorus" is most definitely like a lost Cleaners From Venus track and this is followed by another low key tune "Mirrorball" which reminds me of an Andy Partridge pop ballad. By mid album, some 80's synth influences creep back in on songs like "Lullaby" and "She Smells" - and it's a flashback to Modern English! The best fun here is the pub anthem "Goin' Back To Grandma's" with the hummable chorus and foot stompin' beat. There are a lot of subtle shifts in mood and genre on the album up to this point. The remaining tracks have a hard time measuring up, but this album has a charming set of pop that will sit well with ye merry anglophile power pop fans.

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this from LEICESTER BANGS

http://www.leicesterbangs.co.uk/may08-18.html

 

Penguin Party - See Thru Songs (Sitting Target)

With an unmistakable ‘out-of-its-time’ production and songs which bring to mind classic Nick Lowe and Squeeze, See Thru Songs is a diverting flashback to early ‘80s Britpop. Songwriter Dave Milligan (of Arco fame) leads us through a collection of sticky hooks, quirky arrangements and choruses that insist on taking up residence, and repeated whenever one is in the proximity of running water (you’ll be singing these songs in the shower). Old synths and treated guitars fill up the gaps, and like the best pop, you’re life will mostly remain unaltered and governments definitely won’t fall, but sun-drenched drives in the country, with the windows down, will be enhanced. www.sittingtarget.net
Rob F.

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Penguin Party Review from DOA

From Delusions Of Adequacy:
http://www.adequacy.net/review.php?reviewID=8930

Dave Milligan, one-half of the UK indie band arco, has embarked on a side project he's dubbed Penguin Party. Mainly a solo project, written and produced by Milligan, he steps away from arco's slow-core rock and into more upbeat and quirky pop-rock territory with the help of a few guest musicians, including the other half of arco, Chris Healey.

With a decidedly British flair, Penguin Party prove they can play stylistic pop-rock tunes using numerous instruments, varied influences and genre-hopping arrangements, along with their own musical talents, similar to the likes of Squeeze, Of Montreal and The Santiago Steps.

Milligan and Co. adorn their naive melodies with blotches of beats and snappy electric guitar bursts, some with angular tempos and brisk beats, occasionally building textural tapestries with soft touches of percussion and keyboard washes accented with various electronic drones. Waves of swirling synths flutter over light guitar strumming, creating sweet sounding, semi-psychedelic melodies

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Music Review: Penguin Party - See Thru Songs

Blogcritics Magazine
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/10/23/072403.php
Written by Jeff Perkins
Published October 23, 2008


Arco attracted my attention when I saw the name Martin Newell listed among their influences. Martin is a musician, writer, poet, critic, author, and all round talented guy. His slightly eccentric style has produced albums of the quality of The Greatest Living Englishman and The Off White Album. Another word often used, even by himself, to describe his style is jangly.

Just down the road from Martin in Wivenhoe, Essex is Dave Milligan. Dave was one third of the band Arco. As you may recall, they have released several studio EPs and albums and hopefully more will be on its way. Dave meanwhile has been busy with a side project. Enter Penguin Party.

Penguin Party’s CD See Thru Songs (Sitting Target Music, September 2008) taps into his love of not only Martin Newell, but also early Squeeze and Nick Lowe. The album contains some of the most instantly accessible pop you will hear this year. The result is cooler than a real penguin’s party.

Comparisons have been made to the song writing of Messrs Difford and Tillbrook of Squeeze, and you can easily understand why. Penguin Party and See Thru Music is more quintessentially British than fish and chips, red phone boxes, or six pints of bitter on a wet Saturday night down the pub.

Slightly quirky and individualistic, it is also engagingly charming. One reviewer has used the word ‘spangly’; I only wish I had thought of it first. Dave Milligan taps into a rich heritage of British pop to produce a memorably tuneful, instantly absorbing, collection of See Thru Songs.

“United State Of Grace” is a superbly written stand out track. “Here Be The Chorus” is pure Squeeze. We also see Arco’s “Lullaby” being revisited and given a little more of an up-tempo feel.

“Beaten Black And Blue” slopes along smoothly with lyrics that absorb. “Mirrorball” opens with the intriguing line, "Sometimes I don’t reflect in mirrors". From that moment, it literally reels you in. It is fair to say that lurking within the album are cleverly constructed lyrics about all manner of human experiences.

“Goin’ Back To Grandma’s” is a quirky sing along. “Before I Go Away” seduces and delights. The album ends with “I’m Ready For My Close-up Now Mr Demille”. It is a track that has Mr. Newell himself enthusing, "Jangle indeed. Great stuff!"

See Thru Songs is a highly enjoyable trip through Dave Milligan’s slant on British pop. Well written, nicely balanced, and understated.

‘Jangly’, or even, ‘Spangly’. Either way, let’s just say it works.

Warning. Just like all well written pop you will find yourself singing these songs at highly inappropriate moments

http://www.examiner.com/r-3075281~Music_Review__Penguin_Party____i_See_Thru_Music__i_.html

Penguin Party is the new project from musical all-rounder Dave Milligan (Arco), with a little help from a few friends; 'See Thru Songs' is an album packed full of typically British pop charm, a quirky but stylish, funtime work that's like a cross-over between Difford/Tillbrook, Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt - the classic observational pop writing of the former pairing, the sparkling light-rock individuality of the inbetweeny and the uniqueness and vocal acrobatics of the latter. Quite a combination, quite a blend, quite a strangely-strange but oddly-normal coming together! Hey, it works though!

 

Milligan aka Penguin Party makes smart pop music; his writing is naively intelligent (if that makes sense) and his scores are beautifully and sensitively crafted to colour the poetic lyrics, to emphasise, to adorn and enhance rather than clutter or choke down on the refreshingly individualistic but mature words. Milligan tends to keep it all quite low-key preferring light jangly guitars, expressive keys and militaristic percussive beats to add just the right amount of clever playfulness and hookiness to the mix. Left-field pop maybe but certainly on the brighter side of the odd-ball fence; that's 'brighter' as in somewhat more joyous rather than totally uplifting cuz Penguin Party's music aint actually cheery and all bright whistles and bells, oh no, it can be thought provoking and evocative as much as it can be childlike and coy.

'See Thru Songs' by Penguin Party is a strange but nicely rewarding album; it's well conceived, superbly written and beautifully performed and Milligan certainly puts a bit of fun back into the pop world - well, at least this album puts a smile on yer face purely for its quirkiness if nothing else!! Quite whether 'See Thru Songs' has the ability to be a true hit I'm not at all sure - perhaps Penguin Party will prove to be just too clever for the fickle record buying public, perhaps 'See Thru Songs' will be just too individualistic and too 'grown up' to be a hit - perhaps Penguin Party is destined to remain a cult act and 'See Thru Songs' an 'underground' album. Who knows, Penguin Party sure is an interesting concept/project and 'See Thru Songs' is an enjoyable and fascinating work; pop for pop's sake, good, old fashioned, honest-to-goodness, simplistic pop music, no frills, no big statements, no excuses, and really no surprises - just beautifully crafted, melodic songs that err on the gentler and cosseting side of the pop spectrum.