Merchant Of Tennis

Jeff Merchant
Window Rolled Down
(True Classical)

Indie pop singer-songwriter either thinks this is funny, or he’s Donovan.

It’s not everyday you hear horse hooves in your gypsy pop, nor some beyond-allegorical hijacking of “Li’l Miss Riding Hood.” The immediate reaction is Merchant’s friends are assholes who’ll go to any length, including the production of a full pop album, for a practical joke. “Landlord Song” arrives and you’re making sure not to step on the dwarves and their 12-inch Stonehenge. What is this? Gawd, who knows? It doesn’t seem to be a joke. Straight-faced and full of whimsy, it takes imagination, but you’ll get there: “Good lady! I’ve come to slay the griffin!”

5

— Kevin Keegan

Click here to download a sample of “Li’l Miss Riding Hood.”

Category: Spins, Weekly