Lower Case
Artist: Bill Mallonee
URL: http://www.billmallonee.net & http://www.volsounds.com & http://www.myspace.com/billmallonee
Time: 3 Tracks 14:40
 
Well though it hasn’t gotten a lot of press, Bill Mallonee has assembled a brand new mini 3 song EP entitled _Lower Case_. Each song features a full band backing up Bill and Muriah on guitars and keyboard respectively
 
The first song is called “Sober Up” and features some excellent piano driven chord progressions from Bill’s wife, Muriah Rose, that call to mind songs off of the Christmas record from 2005 “Yonder Shines the Infant Light.” It’s a song about learning things the hard way, a way that we all seem to learn lessons in our life at times. 
 
“String of Pearls” was a favorite of mine since it made it’s first appearance on billtunes last fall. The synthesizer work calls to mind the best brit/pop songs in the “Summershine” era. The song is also one of the most hopeful songs that Bill Mallonee has written in quite some time featuring these very hopeful lyrics: 
 
You're standing at the crossroads in more ways than one
You're standing at the crossroads of what you have become
One day you will wake up in a brand new world
And take your place upon the string of pearls.
 
The third and final track was a song that I felt slipped through the cracks last summer when it was released as a demo on billtunes but not on the billtunes album compilation “Circa” which came out in June of 2007. This song is entitled “Sad Parade” which despite its overall darker theme, does a lot of reflecting on life and the living of life. 
 
All three of these songs show just how great Bill Mallonee could be if only he had the money to put out a full band studio effort. Hopefully, he will receive some kind of break in the near future that will allow him to afford the studio time to make a full album. Until  then every fan should go to www.volsounds.com and buy this EP as soon as possible.  
 
James Morovich
8/13/08