Austinist Album Review: Pikelet - Pikelet

Whether it’s the inherent sweetness or something else entirely, it’s difficult to listen to Pikelet without reminiscing about K Records darling Mirah, although this record doesn’t feature any of the sharp edges or dissonance that mark albums like Advisory Committee, and instead Morris plays it softer, safer. All of this seems to suit her just fine, as evidenced by subject matter like a mini-person in the tongue-in-cheek titled “Size Matters,” and other songs that ostensibly explore the lives of “Miss Hen” and “Princess Mertilda.”

Pikelet isn’t an album that seems to be missing anything, but feels lacking nonetheless. The attentive production and careful instrumentation are probably as good as they’ll ever be, but that doesn’t prevent the album from dropping into the backdrop, even with headphones on and the best of intentions. Echo-laden “It’s Not Childish” seems to tell a bedtime story itself in danger of falling asleep, and even the ominously-titled “What’s Sown Will Be Reaped” is soft, cooing, and forgettable.

While there’s something to be said for comfort and a keen sense of humor, Pikelet suffers from too much of a good thing. The cracks and fissures that make Mirah’s albums weighty despite all-too-tender subtexts are absent from Pikelet, leaving us with whimsy, sugary vox, and not enough of anything else. It’s true that not all songs need be about heartbreak, but one or two would be welcome on the perennially positive Pikelet.

Pikelet on MySpace