MIKE VIOLA

Electro de Perfecto

[RED]

Fifteen years have passed since Mike Viola lent his voice to the That Thing You Do! soundtrack, and he still sounds like the boy next door who dreams of being best buds with Paul McCartney. His writing, though, has gotten dark enough to prevent him from busting the adorability scale. Using phrases like “midlife crisis” to describe Electro de Perfecto would be unfair, if only because some of the subject matter seems a little more serious than that. The narrator of “Me and My Drinking” doesn’t turn to alcohol because he’s lost a woman—he’s lost a woman because he’s an alcoholic. Other characters mention bulimia, pills, razor blades and couples who haven’t shared a laugh in ages. But just as the words keep the record from being too cute, the melodies and that voice keep it from being too heavy. Even when he sings about the stars plotting against him, Viola can be considered an optimist. –DS