Buried
in the recesses of each of our memories are images of wallflowers at those seventh
and eighth grade dances. You know, one who is not wearing too much makeup or
too revealing an outfit and considers it best to simply smile at her girlfriends’
comments, rather than giggle or guffaw. The same could be said for “Friends,” the opening track of this album. In this age of media over-saturation, it’s refreshing to slip a disc into a stereo and not feel forced to be dazzled with glitzy production or self-consciously crafted big choruses, nor enticed with show-offy and/or sexy female vocals. Even when the plaintively sung “Friends” opens up for guitarist Henning Ohlenbusch to lay down a solo, the musician simply eases the listener into a feedback-rub, and we breathe a sigh of release just as singer Lesa Bezo does until the third verse arrives and she resumes her elegantly lovely ode to the simple value of companionship.
“Snow
Day” follows, a charming, amiable pop gem that could grace a million
play-lists. Our consciousness is now relaxed enough to admire our wallflower
for her sweet nature and the only thing better than enjoying time with friends
is the chance to play hooky from work with your sweetie, in order to “Curl
up by the fireplace and watch a movie, something that we have seen too many
times already so we can doze off and dream of days just like the one today.”
By the time the final track on the album fades out with a “la-la-la”
chorus, supported by a nylon string guitar and melodica in waltz time, we’re
happily enchanted and can slip this disc into the racks of our CD collections
knowing that it’ll be there when we want to treat ourselves.
For its part, the spine winks back, with its playful font (fawnt?) nestling
into a yellow and green background. These Fawns are bashful creatures but
they are beautifully at peace with their surroundings and this musical world,
with its gentle hummable melodies, strummy midtempo grooves, and sparkling
pop gleam is simply “A Nice Place To Be.”
Track Listing:
1. friends - free
mp3
2. snow day - free
mp3
3. would you stop?
4. bored
5. movie star
6. i can't wait
7. freaking out
8. 3 days
9. lived without it
10. any day
11. sixteen
Credits:
Lesa Bezo: Vocals, Guitar, Clapping
Brian Marchese: Drums, Vocals, Percussion, Clapping
Ken Maiuri: Bass, Vocals, Melodica
Henning Ohlenbusch: Guitar, Vocals, Synthesizers, Bells, Violin, Clapping
All Songs by Lesa Bezo,
Arranged by the Fawns,
and produced by Hennign Olenbusch
Recorded and mixed at Rub Wrongways Studios, Northampton, MA
Mastered by Dan Richardson Up In The Basement
Design by Max Germer
All songs © 2006 Lesa Bezo
(ASCAP)
Also By The
Fawns: 
Smiling
(2003)