To Each His Own

Album review

The debut solo outing from Eric Pulido, the frontman for mercurial Lone Star State folk-rockers Midlake and a member of indie rock supergroup BNQT, To Each His Own builds on his flagship band's predilection toward pairing dusty indie folk with sunset 70's pop, and puts the emphasis on the latter. Enlisting help from Midlake alumni Joey McClellan (electric guitar), McKenzie Smith (drums), Jesse Chandler (flute), and Dallas-based session greats Daniel Creamer (keyboards) and Beau Bedford (keyboards) of the Texas Gentlemen, Pulido and company carve out a wide swath of pop real estate that invokes the spirits of Harry Nilsson, Eagles, and Cat Stevens. The allure of nostalgia looms large over To Each His Own's 11 cuts. Pulido wrestles with accepting the present while still coming to terms with the past on the sprightly opener "Used to Be" and heartfelt follow-up "When the Time Comes" -- the former is bolstered by an immensely likeable video featuring a suited-up Pulido and his bandmates, with fellow Texan Jason Lee acting as the coach, replaying a little league baseball game they lost all those years ago. He looks south of the border for inspiration on the shuffling "CLP" -- the song was apparently sparked by some Calypso-induced dance moves by Pulido's three-year-old son -- and again inward on the moving "Don't Forget Me" and "Not an Island," both of which suggest a warmer and less sardonic Father John Misty. To Each His Own goes down plenty easy, due in large part to the effortless soft rock arrangements -- warm electric piano, weepy pedal steel, lush harmonies -- but all of those breezy pop vibes would feel rote were it not for Pulido's affable presence and keen ear for melody.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo