''Letters from a Flying Machine'' is an album by American

singer/songwriter A singer-songwriter is a musician who writes, composes, and performs their own musical material, including lyrics and melodies. In the United States, the category is built on the folk-acoustic tradition, although this role has transmuted thr ...

Peter Mulvey Peter Mulvey (born September 6, 1969) is an American folk singer-songwriter based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since the early 1990s, he has developed a strong national following in the indie folk/rock scene through his relentless touring and critic ...

, released in 2009. ''Letters from a Flying Machine'' is a collection of new songs and spoken-word "letters" by Mulvey, the letters written while in flight to his nieces and nephews.

Reception

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's review of the album wrote of the spoken word sections "Most are painful to listen to, lacking the grace and lighthearted humor that mark his songwriting," but wrote the songs "aren't as heavy-handed, even when they take on weighty subjects."

Track listing

All songs by Peter Mulvey unless noted. # "Kids in the Square" (Peter Mulvey, Tim Gearan) – 3:43 # "Some People" – 3:17 # "Letter from a Flying Machine"

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– 3:02 # "Windshield" – 3:42 # "What's Keeping Erica?" (Mulvey, Paul Cebar) – 3:08 # ". . . Plus the Many Inevitable Fragments"

– 2:40 # "Dynamite Bill" (Mulvey, Gearan) – 3:21 # "Shoulderbirds (You Know Me)" (Mulvey, Gearan) – 3:37 # "Bears" (spoken) – 3:54 # "Mailman" – 3:15 # "Vlad the Astrophysicist"

– 5:40 # "On a Wing and a Prayer" (Mulvey, Tim Fagan) – 3:42 # "

Love is Here to Stay "Love Is Here to Stay" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the movie ''The Goldwyn Follies'' (1938). History "Love Is Here to Stay" was first performed by Kenny Baker in ''The Goldwy ...

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George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

) – 1:55

Personnel

*Peter Mulvey – acoustic guitar, vocals, bells *

Kris Delmhorst Kris Delmhorst is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Originally from Brooklyn, New York City, United States, she now lives in Western Massachusetts, is an active member of the Boston folk scene, and tours internationally. She has rele ...

– vocals * David "Goody" Goodrich – guitar, slide guitar * Chris Wagoner – mandolin, violin, viola *

Randy Sabien Randy Sabien (; born September 26, 1956) is an American jazz violinist, composer, and music educator known for his live performances and numerous recordings, many of them on Flying Fish Records and Red House Records. At the age of 21 he founded ...

– violin * Mary Gaines – cello * Steve Yarbro – clarinet * Nathan Kilen – percussion

Production notes

* Produced by Dave Chalfant and Peter Mulvey * Engineered by Ric Probst and Al Williams * Mixed by David Chalfant * Mastered by Ian Kennedy * Art & Design by Peter Nevins

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Letters from a Flying Machine 2009 albums Peter Mulvey albums