CD Review: Landon Pigg

Coffee Shop EP

By Taylor Toothman | ttoothman@flagler.edu

Who is Landon Pigg? Ashton Kutcher’s body double? Maybe. My favorite artist of November? You betcha. If you’re looking for some quiet music to close your eyes and be introspective to in this chilly Fall season, you’ve found it. Enjoy.

Within thirty seconds of “Falling in Love in a Coffee Shop,” I guarantee you will be asking, “Where are you Landon Pigg? What coffee shop are you talking about? I’ll be right there!” His voice is so soothing and warm, I just want to snuggle up in it.

The second of the EP’s five songs is a reworked version of “Great Companion” from Pigg’s 2006 debut LP called LP. The original was terrific in its own right, but this slower and more honest-feeling version seems much more fitting, the way it ought to have been written in the first place. I’ve found that, usually, an acoustic song stripped of unnecessary glitter gets straight to its personal and emotional aspect, and this song sure delivers a quiet, heartwrenching whammy. Good stuff.

“Can’t Let Go” is also from Pigg’s LP and has been appearing all over television for the past two years. Name any guy-missing-his-girlfriend scenario on any show and you’ve probably heard this song. Just when I was starting to get annoyed with its over-coverage, here comes the best acoustic version of any song ever. Pigg has again removed all excess flash and electronic noise from his hit single, and has made it a hard-hitting, meaningful weeper. I think I would feel a lot more sorry for McDreamy if he was missing Grey’s anatomy to this.

Pigg’s acoustic take on Frank Sinatra’s classic ballad “Young at Heart” is wonderfully original. The understated guitar, shaker and string arrangement brings out the preciousness of the lyrics, reminding the listener that really, truly “life gets more exciting with each passing day” when you’re young at heart.

The final song, “Magnetismo” is a saucy Spanish twist on his LP song “Magnetism.” Sung entirely en Español, Pigg gives this version a laid back, casual feel that rivals the original.

Put Landon Pigg’s EP on when the weather finally gets colder, sip hot chocolate and challenge your roommate to a game of high-stakes Jenga. It’ll make your afternoon, I promise.