Lindon Puffin is a specimen all of his own, his past accusation of being like ‘Buddy Holly but on speed’ is fitting. Live, he is incredibly entertaining, a comedic musician whose talent lies in holding his crowd, which, for anyone, would be hard to capture on disc.
His full length recording, aptly named Show Pony, is in stores this week, and Puffin is hitting the road to promote it. Show Pony does have its moments which reflect the live no barriers, ranting and raving, provocative man you may come across in a shady bar in the backwaters of New Zealand.
Show Pony is loosely based on the theme of relationships, many failed, always articulated in an original, often humorous way, backed by The Wild Oats, bringing in a bigger sound than the one-man band usually has when on the road.
There’s two styles Puffin goes for on Show Pony; the clonking, good time, upbeat tracks like the surf rock fused ‘Even Keel,’ which has the great line “You can’t shake that dream where you try to run, but your legs wont move and help won’t come” or the rockabilly style ‘Sugar Plum’ which contrasts to the more bitterly depressed, fallible Puffin, such as ‘Human Enough’ about holding onto a failing relationship.
Whatever he’s singing, in whatever style Show Pony is a glimpse into the life of a man who lives “alone in a little one room bungalow” and has “been trying to scrape a living from the weekend throng but the crowd just wanna hear what they already know from a skinny little kind on the top 10 radio”.
Whether he’s playing upbeat rockabilly or introspective, life musing folk, Puffin remains honest in his signatory sarcastic, cynically self deprecating and completely underrated way.
He is a refreshing face for the blase solo artist music scene in New Zealand.
Lindon Puffin is playing this Thursday, at Mount Street Bar, then at Mighty Mighty. Go and buy his album.