Pleb Mahogany’s Cecily Strong is a short but top shelf example of intelligent pop song craft at a sort of modern zenith. There is a saying in writing circles that musical easy to read prose is a clear signal of hard work and I think it applies to the musical artists as well – Pleb Mahogany makes the two tracks included on this EP sound effortless, but you cannot help but think they are the result of intensive work and clear creative vision. Having never heard Mahogany before, I think his seamless mix of melody, vulnerability is dazzling, and he brings understated humor to Cecily Strong’s two tracks. Pleb Mahogany brings a rich sense of character to this release quite unlike anything or anyone else in modern pop music today and the two songs cast a spell over listeners lingering long after they are over.
The airy sound of the title track is impressive. There is not an assortment of instruments propelling the song forward, but Mahogany arranges things in such a way that the track achieves impressive sonic velocity. Electric piano is the omnipresent musical force moving the track along, but there are light touches of keyboards and percussion adding further color to the performance. The percussion sets a soft pulse throughout the track; it is difficult to determine whether it live playing or electronically produced, but it has the right sound for Mahogany’s purposes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZTswuPqB3Q
The lyrics are inspired by a Saturday Night Live performer, but that inspiration is incidental to the song’s success. Mahogany impresses me as someone able to invoke convincing characterizations within a pop song structure through well-chosen brush strokes; it is not a common skill. He has an unusual voice, but it conveys playfulness and warmth in equal measure. His phrasing for the track is especially effective and its rise and fall dovetails nicely into the arrangement.
The final track on the EP “Guard” is a much different affair. It has a more serious tilt than the title song, overall, though flashes of the same playfulness make their presence felt in the second track. The song’s time-tested subject matter has some twists built into the writing that set it apart from similar tracks. There is a judicious amount of imagery laden through the lyrics balance such moments with an array of declarative statements. It has vulnerability in those moments “Cecily Strong” never approaches and the sensitivity of his vocal approach strengthens those emotional points of the performance.
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“Guard”, as well, has exceptional melodic strengths. The piano playing running throughout the track will translate well to live performance and the dry snap of the live drumming adds a percussive accompaniment to the arrangement. It ends the EP on a memorable note and, taken as tandem, Cecily Strong is one of most unusual releases I have heard in recent memory. Pleb Mahogany puts a distinctive spin on long-standing pop formulas and many newcomers to his music will want to come back for more. His talents are deep and undeniable.
Jodi Marxbury