Beauregard by Pepper Rabbit

Hello once again! Today’s review will be of an album that’s near and dear to my heart, Beauregard by Pepper Rabbit! While I’ve never paid attention to much folk, I have listened to this album in its entirety.

Clarinet Song: As the title states, there is quite a bit of clarinet in this song! The song’s subject matter is about someone suppressing pain and going their own way.

Harvest Moon: My personal favorite song. The instrumental sounds the most upbeat of the album. This can be seen as a contradiction because the lyrics describe finding there is nothing there at all. The variety of instruments used is also a highlight.

In the Spirit of Beauregard: The title track about a dog who drowns after swimming in a river. The melancholic instrumental perfectly sets the mood, and especially provokes sorrowful emotions from the listener.

Red Wine: A song about someone who drastically transitions to a higher class of living and subsequently becomes a hollow shell of their former self.

Snowalker: A song with contrasting instrumentals. While the music sounds relatively lighthearted, the lyrics detail serious topics such as how people lose sleep as they grow older due to hardships.

Older Brother: Another song about death, this time the death of a relative. Once again, the lyrics are poignant yet moving, and while the instrumental sounds more upbeat than “In the Spirit of Beauregard,” still provokes an emotional reaction.

None Shall Sleep: Opening with a piano riff that indeed captures a sleepy atmosphere, the song details a retrospective look at someone who believes they wasted their life.  Some lyrics of the song indeed sound morbid as the instrumental begins to pick up.

Song for a Pump Organ: Another dour sounding song about wanting to change someone’s mind due to their feelings about friends and family.

Babette: A song using a multitude of unique instruments, and an accordion is even worked in! The lyrics themselves are about the fantasies and dreams people have of leaving for a new place.

Send in the Horns: A slightly downbeat sounding song, about a person who will not wait for someone’s approval or try to impress their family and decides to leave for these reasons.

While normal editions of the album end here, there are two bonus tracks if you choose to stream the album:

Three: The shortest song, and while it only has a two-minute run-time, it is a quick-paced song that sounds the most energetic.

Reprise: Beautiful instrumental outro to the album. The song is indeed a reprise of the banjo from “Red Wine,” and manages to sound glummer than the predecessor.

The album earns the first 10/10 awarded on this blog!