Anybody who is a fan of harmony-filled pop rock the late sixties or early Seventies, s well as any current variations of this musical theme has surely run across Dent May and his music. Or MayBe not. If latter is the case, they certainly should make an effort.
The Mississippi native has moved to Los Angeles and there he came up with his four outing, Across The Multiverse. It is certainly one of the more recent albums with a very apt title. The reference to the magnificent Beatles song is not only in name, it is all over the album, as in the “Penny Lane”-like horn chorus on “Picture On The Screen”.
But then the ‘multi’ prefix in the title also could be a reference to all the influences May cites on this album - from Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys (particularly from the the Sunflower/Surf’s Up era), Van Dyke Parks, Harry Nilsson, Todd Rundgren , to more current purveyors of that sound like The High Llamas or Stephen Meritt and his Magnetic Fields.
It is not that Dent May hasn’t done that on his previous three ‘Mississippi albums’, it is that the songs on Across The Multiverse are the most rounded, melodic and musically coherent that he has done so far.
What is even more astounding is that the music which is filled with multi-harmonies and intricate arrangements (May did almost everything by himself) was recorded in May’s LA Bungalow. Essentially, it is lo-fi bedroom music without any traces of lo-fi or bedroom.
That is then an intriguing feat taking into account the possible size of May’s record collection which he certainly took along with him and the space it occupied if you attempt to count all the music he was influenced by in making this album.
The thing is that musical quotes, as those in writing can overpower the original ideas of the artist who is using those quotes. Luckily, May was able to skillfully avoid these traps while making this album.
He was also able to sharpen his lyrical acumen, although some might have reservations about an innuendo song title like “Face Down In the Gutter of Your Love”. But when you start listening to the song itself you get the point May is trying to make and forget about the innuendo. Multiverse at work, I guess.
All in all, Across the Multiverse, is a thoroughly enjoyable musical experience, whether you are familiar with all the musical quotes Dent May there in there or not. You can enjoy this album on its own merits.
