Guinea Pigs on a Scaffold

The 16 original tracks of Guinea Pigs on a Scaffold (2005) draw on influences such as Brad Mehldau, Bob Dylan, Harry Nillson, Ryan Adams, Ben Folds, Jeff Buckley, and Damien Rice. As opposed to Over and Over Again the majority of the songs on Guinea Pigs were written on the guitar. Because of this, Munhall’s rhythms and phrasings had become even more diverse with alt country, bluegrass, as well as folk undertones. However, the piano still manages to be the backbone of Munhall’s musicality. This album was written during his time in Germany and reflects on the state of post 9/11 America from the viewpoint of a citizen relishing days abroad, yet missing home. There’s a sense on the record that the home Munhall came back to was quite different than the one he left, in more ways than one.

Some of the songs, considered…

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics (2) is an ideological porcupine's waltz of a song that is "an ode to how much I love my country, while at the same time a diatribe against its complacency and hypocrisy."

Mystery (4) is an imaginative reflection and search for hope in the aftermath of the Tsunami of 2004 and the devastation and misery it caused. Munhall seems to be asking God why, and getting no response besides the naked reality of what has happened and the necessity of perseverance in the face of horrendous tragedy.

When I’m Old (6) is a bossa nova number that subtly hides the bitterness of love lost in soft, sweet melodies and swaying rhythms. The speaker echoes the words of Christ asking God the father to let him forgo crucifixion, admitting he’s leaving a true love and asking forgiveness, and finally hoping he will be allowed to renounce the worldly affairs of man to find a solitary place from which to watch the storms of society in peace.

Desert Rose (8) This is a song that is quite cryptic. It deals with one waiting at home for a loved one at War in the desert and the one who is in the battle itself. Desert Rose is somewhat rare military slang for the one woman among many men in deployed situations. The term also implies the danger of her becoming more than just an emotional comfort to her fellow troops. Munhall tackles a grave and delicate topic with great humanity in the last verse with these words…” I suppose that we all have our fair share of demons, when we’ve lost all our dreams, trying hard not to be seen by the God who has made us, how hard it must be to hold on.”

Lyrics of selected songs from Guinea Pigs on a Scaffold
Coming soon…