Eytan Mirsky
Everyone’s Having Fun Tonight
M-Squared Records
Eytan Mirsky’s mastery of the three-minute pop-rock song continues impressively on his fourth album, Everyone’s Having Fun Tonight.
I’d hate to think Mirsky is as much of a loser in real life as the woe-is-me content of his songs suggests, but his lyrics about lost love, regret, hard luck and general melancholy certainly sound like the voice of experience. Yet while Mirsky’s songs may appear depressing, his bouncy, infectious riffs and melodies prove that one man’s misfortune has never been so entertaining. Ex-girlfriend ode “She’s Looking Better” kicks things off in terrific style, lamenting how his former lover looks so much hotter since dumping him. The rocking “This Song” humorously documents the inability of the song’s subject to sleep with one of his fans.
It’s easy to see why many of Mirsky’s songs from previous albums have appeared in well-received indie films. The excellent “Happiness” and “American Splendour” also have been recently featured in films. Sung in the film by Michael Stipe, the former is an archetypal Eytan Mirsky song: lyrically melancholy but immensely catchy, with smart lyrics and great musicianship. The latter is something of a departure, due to its raw, acoustic sound.
Mirsky experiments more this time around than he has on previous albums. The off the wall “Reciprico” (sung entirely in Spanish) and the country-rock vibe of “Let’s Start With Goodbye” further suggest that there is more than enough variety to ensure the 16 tracks on Everyone’s Having Fun Tonight never outstay their welcome.
Power pop doesn’t get much better than this.
Eytan Mirsky: http://eytanmirsky.home.att.net
