Mike
Bennett
Capsule
Reviews:
May, 2006

Scroll down for capsule reviews of The Editors, 1900s, Buzzcocks, Soul Asylum, Secret Machines, Sam Baylor, Jace Everett, The Thought Criminals, The Television Personalities, Hamfatter, Jane vs. World, Lilys, Erasure, Tom Hayman, Plug Uglies, Herb Eimmerman, Scott Miller and Quasi

The Editors -- The Back Room (Fader/Kitchenware): Yes, I could call them Interpol U.K., or rail against how derivative The Editors are. The fit firmly on the axis between Echo & The Bunnymen, Joy Division and The Chameleons. If you want innovation and originality, go elsewhere. But let me tell you something -- The Editors have this sound nailed down cold. Four key factors that make this a good record -- Tom Smith is a fine warbler in the tradition of cats like Ian Curtis, Ian McCulloch and Peter Murphy. Guitarist Chris Urbanowicz lays on the effects thickly, sometimes stabbing away on lead parts, other times letting gossamer webs of chords spill out of his amplifier. And the rhythm section is outstanding, Ed Lay on drums, and especially the prominent bass lines of Russell Leetch. This music moves and flows, and the songs are well constructed, often building to inspiring choruses and crescendos. Sometimes they don't even have to build things up -- "All Sparks" thrusts you right into the drama, sounding instantly tense and pulse pounding, with a slight change up in the chorus, before heading back to the relentless groove. They have plenty of strong melodies at their disposal, highlighted best on "Fall", a mellow number that is carried by the melody. They even come close to sounding a wee bit happy on "Bullets", which reminds me a bit of a less playful British Sea Power. All of these songs are good, but the band's bread-and-butter is the guitar fueled anthem, and they have more than a few of those, such as "Munich" and "Fingers in the Factory" . A very enjoyable record and now let's see if they have something of their own to say. kitchenwarerecords.com

The 1900's -- Plume Delivery (Parasol): A promising Chicago quintet whose primary distinguishing factors are the unmannered vocals of Caroline Donovan and the frequently predominant keyboards of Michael Josinski. The band draws from a wide array of influences, which they ably filter through their specific sound. There are a few directions mapped out on the six songs on this EP. Things get off to a good start with "Bring the Good Boys Home", which has a glammy Roxy Music (or The Features) vibe in the verses, with an urgent folk-pop (like The Roches or Judee Sill, perhaps) chorus. You have to hear it to dig how well it works. Donovan's vocals on this song are a bit reminiscent of Rebecca Gates of Spinanes fame -- unaffected and affecting. While nothing else hits that high, there are a few other top tracks. "Patron Saint of the Mediocre" reeks of Velvet Underground, with a little garage rock keyboard line, and Donovan's vocal somewhere between Nico and the women of Stereolab. It's like a decadent Shout It Out Louds, until the song moves on, building a haunting intensity. This is a very accomplished performance that shows how far along this relatively new band is. This followed by the swooning "Heart Props", which sounds like a classic piece of California pop, circa 1972 in the verses, though the chorus is very 21st Century indie pop -- too bad it is so short. The band also has a bit of a pastoral vibe, aided greatly by Kristina Dutton's violin. This EP is a sterling debut that promises many great things in the near future. parasol.com

Buzzcocks -- Flat Pack Philosophy (Cooking Vinyl): Normally, the problem with a veteran band is that they stop rocking. That's not the problem with Buzzcocks. The energy level and guitar power is still there. It's just that the songs aren't of a consistently high quality anymore. The title cut that kicks off the disc illustrates this problem. It's well played, but the song is more notable for its lack of invention -- no clever lyrics, no special melody, and the hook is a simple recitation of the title. Granted, not every Buzzcocks song has to be a buffet of hooks, but their best work has multiple catchy parts. In 2006, it's now just a riff, a rhythm and a snippet of a chorus. It still sounds like Buzzcocks, yet it's incomplete. Nevertheless, this is still a decent punk inflected pop record. As is often the case when a band gets locked into a formula, the most striking songs are the ones which diverge from the tried and true. "I Don't Exist" may be the Brit poppiest track ever waxed by the band, with a pithy guitar part that could have come off of a Small Faces or Blur record. It's almost cuddly. On "God, What Have I Done", Tony Barber (bass) and Philip Barker (drums) rumble thickly in the background in an ominous fashion. On this song, Pete Shelley's melody simply leaps from the morass. It's too bad the lyrics seem like a first draft. Steve Diggle's contributions are pretty typical, the best being "Big Brother Wheels", which has a wistful feel to it in the verses, contrasted by the scolding chorus which asserts that you're going to be brainwashed by the government. Sometimes a juxtaposition between the mood of the lyrics and the music works, but here, I think the music, as good as it is, fails the words. A couple of times, the band comes close to meeting their high rock and roll standard, with the chugging "Reconciliation" and "Dreamin'". Just close. cookingvinylusa.com

Soul Asylum -- Closer To The Stars: Best Of The Twin/Tone Years (Rykodisc): Repeated exposure to "Runaway Train" and "Black Gold" probably eradicated the memories of the formative years of the scruffy Minneapolis outfit that was originally called Loud Fast Rules. While the early Soul Asylum records weren't quite up to the high standards set by their Minneapolis contemporaries Husker Du and The Replacements, they weren't too far away, cranking out bracing rock and roll that stood at the intersection of punk, Aerosmith and cowpunk. This compilation skimps on the band's debut EP, which I think is fantastic, but the Made To Be Broken and While You Were Outalbums seemed pretty good at the time, and, if anything, sound better today. I'm not quite so sure if the same could be said of the two jokey covers from the band's final Twin/Tone release, Clam Dip And Other Delights, as the versions of Foreigner's "Jukebox Hero" and Janis Joplin's "Move Over" are sloppy and tossed off. Which is too bad, since Soul Asylum would unleash some awesome cover versions on stage. Putting those two songs aside, the rest of this set is punchy and careening, but the songwriting skill is evident on almost every track. On "No Man's Land", the band shows a facility with melodic pop-rock that isn't too far from their more commercially successful forays into Tom Petty-land. However, the performance is markedly different. Dave Pirner sings like Paul Westerberg gone hoarse, and while the rhythm section stays controlled, Pirner and Murphy play the hell out of their guitars. The band's ‘70s hard rock leanings come through on the excellent "Tied to the Tracks", which is one of their first great Aerosmith knock offs ("Cartoon", from their A & M days, was another one). The careening energy of the band may have fooled a lot of their college radio acolytes, but this is simply a sped up hard rock song. And all the better for it. Moreover, there are plenty more hellbound rockers throughout. Yet, from day one, they had more depth, as illustrated by the debut EP's excellent saxophone flavored "Stranger", which probably came closer in spirit to Green On Red and that ‘80s ilk. While not perfect, this is a pretty good encapsulation of the Soul Asylum's early years. Maybe Ryko can do something for the criminally overlooked Magnolias. rykodisc.com

Secret Machines -- Ten Silver Drops (Reprise): This Texas trio got a lot of acclaim for their modern take on prog rock on their 2004 debut album. I thought that the attempt was laudable, but the band didn't have ideas that were worthy of their chops. On this new album, the Machines are more concise and song-oriented, if eight songs in 45 minutes can be considered concise. I guess it's all relative. While this makes their music a bit more approachable, as there are fewer lengthy instrumental sections, it also exposes how ordinary many of their basic song ideas are. Bands that come to mind when listening to this disc include the late-‘80s Simple Minds, Rhythm Corps, The Outfield and The Alarm. These are basically poppy stadium rock songs on steroids. Thankfully, singer Brandon Curtis is not wildly out of control, keeping the music from being overly melodramatic. Moreover, while this music is in no way groundbreaking, the songs are pretty decently crafted and there are some good moments here. "I Hate Pretending" is an odd mix of styles, with the precise verses, augmented by keyboards, sounding a bit like mid-‘80s Rush (a la "New World Man"), interrupted by a sing-song pop melody, with a angry counter-verse where Curtis sounds a little bit like Perry Farrell in his Jane's Addiction days. The song eventually breaks down into controlled cacophony, but then ends quietly. A weird and cool mix of ideas. The band goes pomp pop on "All at Once (It's Not Important)", which has an anthemic keyboard line that sounds like a relic from the days that Simple Minds and U2 ruled college radio. For all the ceremony in the music, the message that is trying to be conveyed is "it don't mean much". While I'm not sure if I believe that, that phrase is part of the best hook on the album. The band also shows that it can navigate mellower territory on the closer "1,000 Seconds", which has a bit of a Beatle-esque melody and great piano driven atmosphere. Fans of the first album will probably gravitate towards "Daddy's in the Doldrums", which has the best stretched out instrumental sections. Secret Machines do not lack for musical ideas. What they really need is a stronger raison d'etre. Their lyrics are just kind of there, and for all of their skill, their songs could use a more defined purpose. repriserecords.com

Sam Baylor -- Life On Trouble Street (New Boss Sounds): Baylor's name might not ring a bell, but he was in Will and the Bushmen with Will Kimbrough. While his music doesn't sound like Kimbrough's solo work, it is also quality Southern pop, mixing melodic mid-tempo tunes that go down easy with a few rockers. Kimbrough co-writes one track, "Free Advice", while Baylor also gets playing and production assistance from Neilson Hubbard and Jonathon Bright. Fans of Hubbard's work will really dig the lead track, "Come On Lover" -- it shares a certain gentle romantic pop feel that typifies Hubbard's best work. Meanwhile, "Free Advice" is a sly, soulful Dixie mid-tempo power pop track, which is well suited for Baylor's easy drawl. This is warm song in the vein of some of John Hiatt's work and, for fans of songs that dented the Top 40, Robert Ellis Orral's "I Couldn't Say No". Baylor generates a good amount of steam on the garage rocking cover of The Equals' "Police On My Back", which nods a bit more towards The Clash's version of the track. "Tip Top" is not as propulsive, but it has a classic guitar line (think Cheap Trick) before hitting a hard pub rock stride. However, "Tip Top" is not the tip top track here. That honor goes to "Look at Me Now". This song is pure summer fun, from the "shoop shoop shooby doo wop vocals" to the R & B guitar riff to Baylor's personality filled vocals. The playful verses flow into power chords as Baylor sings "everybody looks wonderful". A good groove and a good hook is a winning combination all the time. This is an easy record to like.

Jace Everett -- Jace Everett (Epic): Not too often do I get the opportunity to roll out a Ricky Van Shelton comparison, but there are times that this newcomer reminds me of RvS. Like Shelton, Everett plays a rocking brand of country that never crosses the line into outright rock ‘n' roll. Another influence is Chris Isaak, as the self-penned "Bad Things" is essentially an homage to Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad Thing". Thankfully, the song is not merely a rewrite, but it utilizes a similar slinky blues groove and Everett sells the insinuating lyrics, dropping into his lower range to convincingly sing "I want to do bad things to you." This is followed by the bouncy "I Gotta Have It", which is somewhere in the realm of Dave Edmunds or Webb Wilder, and is good old fashioned rockin' fun. There are some other nice examples of twang pop on the album, like "Gold" and "Half of My Mistakes", which was written by Radney Foster and Bobby Houck. The confluence of influences shines on the sentimental closer "Between a Father and a Son". The mid-tempo verses have a classic country melody, but in the driving chorus, Everett and his co-writers throw in a melodic wrinkle that wouldn't feel out of place on a Posies record. The song is a pretty effective tribute to carrying on traditions -- a simple and sweet message. Fans of earthier alt-country might be put off by the pristine Nashville production, but the quality of the songs and the singer is unquestionable. sonynashville.com

The Thought Criminals -- Chrono-logical (Doublethink): They began their career in 1977, sarcastic and idealistic, really believing that punk meant having no rules. Their first single, "I Won't Pay (for Punk Records)" really reflected their thoughts at the time. While they may not have held that sentiment all throughout their career, the Criminals' musical development, as set forth on this two CD compilation, was remarkable. The two cover songs on the second disc will give you an idea of where they ventured after their punky beginnings -- Magazine's "My Mind Ain't So Open" and Wire's "From the Nursery". Yes, the band took an arty turn which incorporated some jagged edges and minimalistic structures, with intriguing and intelligent lyrics throughout. Post-punk fans not familiar with this Aussie band may want to take a flyer. The Wire influence can be heard on songs like "Take Another Look" and "OK 767" -- and I don't necessarily mean the clipped structures of the early Wire years, but the mantra like melodies of their second and third albums. And the Criminals certainly put their own stamp on this inspiration. By the time they were doing songs like "Problems By Numbers", they were one heck of an art pop band, probably sharing as much common ground with 100 Flowers and Josef K as the classic post-punkers. While these post-punk and art pop songs form the bulk of the disc, the early straight punk numbers are funny and punchy, such as "More Suicides Please". The package comes with a biographical essay and some lyrics, though a discography would have been nice. Still, that's just a quibble -- a very entertaining and enlightening collection. doublethink.tv

The Television Personalities - My Dark Places (Domino): Daniel Treacy's long absence from recording hasn't changing him one bit. The Television Personalities leader is an eccentric pop-rocker in the tradition of Syd Barrett and Robyn Hitchcock. He's not much of a singer, his lyrics are tossed off, and often the tunes sound that way too. He shares some of the psych vibe of Barrett and Hitchcock, but the Velvet Underground is a larger influence, and I'm not saying that just because there is a tune on here called "Velvet Underground" He is capable of writing tightly focused pop songs, but that's not much in evidence here. The most immediately catchy song on the disc is "All the Young Children on Crack", a simple number built on a strong drum machine beat, and "She Can Stop Traffic" is a fairly conventional guitar rocker. A lot of the songs here lock into grooves or drones (or droney grooves), over which Treacy meanders along with his lyrical observations which are alternatively weird, mundane and intriguing. As a result, this album is uneven, though not fatally so. In a way, the songs that go nowhere here are kind of like the snippets and half songs on old Guided By Voices records -- they are just a necessary part of the aural landscape. And some songs that go nowhere sound quite good. The best music comes in about the middle of the record. The above-mentioned "Velvet Underground" is a old rock and roll song with tinkly piano, as Treacy wonders "where did the Velvet Underground get that sound?" The title cut is wobbly garage rock with a cool R & B synth-horn part -- I could hear Wreckless Eric taking a crack at this. "I'm Not Your Typical Boy" is a delicate and touching piano piece, with Treacy straining to hit the notes in the chorus, which makes it all the more affecting. He sounds even more vulnerable on "You Kept Me Waiting Too Long", in which the droning melody is mashed up with a generic dance beat -- the disparate styles work very well together. The best evocation of the Velvets is the lovely "I Hope You're Happy Now". This is not the best Television Personalities record, but it certainly shows that Treacy still has it, and there should be some more fine records in him. dominorecordco.us

Hamfatter -- Girls In Graz (Pink Hedgehog): The second Hamfatter album offers some more clever Brit pop songs, mixed with some pastoral music that touches on traditional folk and twee and lovely piano ballads reminiscent of Kate Bush. As is often the case with an album that tackles some disparate styles, this works because the band pulls everything off well. Usually, a varied album sounds disjointed when the band can't pull off one of the styles. Not a problem here. The band features two quality vocalists in Eoin O'Mahony and Emilie Martin. O'Mahony has one of those slightly worn, effortless voices -- I believe I compared some of Hamfatter's music last time to Badly Drawn Boy, and O'Mahony's vocals are a big reason for that. Martin, on the other hand, sounds like she should be accompanying piano recitals with her pealing pretty tones. When their voices combine, it is pretty magical. "Spring Summer" is one of those Bush like songs that I was referencing, with an ebb-and-flow melody and a fetching duet by the two singers. This is a sophisticated composition, which takes a surprising turn into a rock direction, which only adds to its power. A truly great track. "Fireworks" is in a totally different vein, a rhythm driven tune, with O'Mahony singing in a staccato fashion over the constant beat of Mark Ellis's drums. The song reminds me a bit of The Bonzo Dog Band with a dabble of modern rock and early Split Enz. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Badly Drawn Boy again -- "Django" is more playful than BDB, but with a similar style. There's even a bouncy piano driven piece, the fun title track. This is a really good album, building on their fine debut disc. Hamfatter is in a special place where everything they try comes out quite worthwhile. pinkhedgehog.com

Jane vs. World -- 56k 's (Popboomerang): Take the vim and vigor of Bis, a respect for power pop and girl group traditions, and lyrics that manage to be bitingly clever and winningly innocent at the same time, and you get some idea of what Jane vs. World is onto. Singer Kate Duncan and keyboardist Jadey O'Reagan have a winning happy quality that sometimes reminds me of Vancouver cuddlecoresters cub, though JvW are nerdier -- and proud of it! However, beneath the mismatched clothes and dayglo colors, there is a secret that is revealed; Kate Duncan has one hell of a voice. She is often out of control, but that's part of the attitude -- you have to sing numbers like "B-grade Lisa Loeb" aggressively, with great lines like "And I thought we could put a record on/Ben Folds Five or maybe even The Who/but you said that they weren't emo enough for you." Yes, catchy tunes and smart words crop up on every track. O'Regan's English studies pay off on her paean to Jack Kerouac, "The Subterranean", a tale of heading to San Francisco with Jack and Dean. Jack exclaims "Man, we're gonna make it/doesn't matter what they say/punctuation is overrated." Ha! The tracks seem to alternate from the prototypical fizzy new wave energy to a couple of bouncy piano numbers more in the vein of the aforementioned Mr. Folds, like "I Used to Write Bad Poetry" (because "I grew to learn I need some indie cred/and now I write bad songs instead") and "The Subterraneans". Ably abetted by producers Michael Carpenter and Matt Fell, I hope that Jane vs. World continues to develop their melodic abilities, as Duncan has so much potential, without losing their overabundance of personality and intelligence. popboomerang.com

Lilys -- Everything Wrong Is Imaginary (Manifesto): It's hard to call an album a return to form, when the band in question seems to be constantly altering its approach. Still, after two great major label records, the last Lilys album, Precollection, was uncharacteristically dull. No problem here, as frontman Kurt Heasley has put away his Ray Davies vocal affectations, and marries some R & B and mild funk grooves with some shoegazing melodies and guitar parts that evoke memories of early Lilys music. The opener "Black Carpet Magic" is a pleasant drone, with Michael Musmanno anchoring the song with his bassline while other instruments accent the melody and rhythm. It's a very affirmative song on par with the kindred "Moving" by Supergrass. Much like The 3-Way, this album shows that Heasley's biggest skill is how easily he can bring together seemingly disparate styles in a way that is unusual and fresh. There are still unpredictable moments, like when the gauzy groove of "Knocked on the Fortune Teller's Door" suddenly speeds up for a quick rock and roll breakdown, before heading back into dreamy psych-rock territory. Heasley and Co. rely a lot on repetition to create a mood. This is exemplified by songs like "Still All in the Glitter" and "O.I.C.U.R.". The latter plays like a dub mix of Pink Floyd and Verve, with distant vocals, acoustic guitar and a dramatic electric piano part registering indelibly. There are only a few straight ahead pop tunes, the best being "With Candy" (which has a slight Kinks vibe) and the excellent "The Night Sun Over San Juan", which has a creeping rhythm and the best melody and hook on the album. This album relies a lot on creating moods and succeeds most of the time. Never count Lilys out, they are always capable of a good record. And a surprise or two. manifesto.com

Tom Heyman -- Deliver Me (Jackpine): Dylan-ish roots-rock from a veteran musician who numbers Chuck (Green On Red) Prophet and Mark Eitzel of American Music Club amongst his pals, and both show up at points on this disc. Heyman's classic approach is closer to that of contemporaries like Prophet and Steve Wynn, which is, of course, very good news. Heyman has a rich mellow and deep voice that is perfect for his material. The songs traverse from folkie storytelling, as evidenced on "Crazy Ray", about a suspect guy in rockabilly garb, to bluesy shuffles like "Monkey Out of Me". On the latter, Heyman throws in a cool guitar solo over Paul Revelli's funky drumming. There's even a song that combines an R & B bass line with Heyman's own countrified pedal steel -- "Slip Away", which is the picture of economical songwriting, with pithy lyrics married to a great melody. My favorite track is "Haunted", which could very well have come off a recent Steve Wynn album, Heyman kind of talk-singing through the track. His house isn't really haunted, though that's what he's singing. It's just that he lady left him, and it's empty and lonely. He turns to the oldies station for solace: "Got the O'Jays and The Hollies and The Beach Boys and the Stones/I haven't seen a soul for days now but I know I'm not alone." Throw in covers of Eddy Arnold's "Milk Cow Blues" and Ike Turner's "You Got What You Wanted", and this is a fine little album. jackpinesocialclub.com

Erasure -- Union Street (Mute): While it's becoming standard fare for rockers to record acoustic versions of their old hits, it's not something you expect from a successful synth-pop duo like Erasure. What's equally surprising is that the band does not roll out the hits. Instead, Vince Clarke and Andy Bell delve into lesser known entries from their catalog - a chance to shed some light on some overlooked tunes. What could have been perfunctory is fairly inspired. No one has questioned Clarke's propensity for penning great melodies or Bell's vocal skills. Still, this album provides a fresh perspective, and Bell particularly benefits from it. I'm sure that some aspects of his singing aren't technically kosher, as he can lay the vibrato on a bit heavy and sometimes just oversings. But those are minor sporadic flaws. Bell's voice is soulful and he is always at one with his material. This comes to the fore on "How Many Times", which has a classic chord structure to it. One could easily imagine this song being performed by a hot Motown act or The Bee Gees in the ‘60s. Direct lyrics and a reserved Bell vocal make this rendition very affecting. Bell is more angelic on "Stay With Me", where Steve Walsh's guitar strumming is augmented by what sounds like a tin whistle in the background. Some choral singers come in near the end, to add to the low key joy of the track. "Blues Away" has similar emotions, and is a bit perkier. You see, he's putting his blues away. Again, you can really hear the classic structure of Clarke's melodies, even in this mellower arrangement. My favorite track is a longer number, "Tenderest Moment". This song has a bit of a dramatic cast, but it is ultimately a song about absolutely true love and devotion, when you surrender yourself to your lover: "This must be all that there is/times don't come much more beautiful." Clarke blends three different melodies together to perfection. This project is a clear success, and now Erasure has made its Sunday morning disc. mute.com

Plug Uglies -- Plug Uglies (Laughing Outlaw): This compiles music recorded between 1988 and 1991 by this Australian band. While their name may insinuate that they were an obvious punk outfit, in fact, their music has much more in common with the paths taken by Ed Kuepper and Chris Bailey after Kuepper left The Saints. This is aggressively acoustic guitar driven rock. I would say that Kuepper's work is the best immediate reference point. This is intense blues-folk. Yet one of the songs pays a bit of homage to David Bowie's glam days. The track "Grubby Supper" has borrows a guitar line from "Hang Onto Yourself" on Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album. The song is otherwise typical Uglies, with an insistent rhythm, while singer Roger Norris is tremulous as he sings of love rising from squalor and decadence: "You won't believe it we're so unclean/makes me happy and makes me mean." Some of the music here also shares the folkie urgency of U.K. bands like The Woodentops and A House, but it's shot through with a seedier sensibility that is unique to Aussie artists such as The Birthday Party and The Scientists. It's an oddly compelling blend. One example of this is on the fast jangle "Lumberjack Jack", a track about Jack Kerouac. This tune is like a more menacing version of Hellfire Sermons (for those lucky folks who remember them!). Or, to cite a more contemporary artist, fans of Sons and Daughters would probably dig tunes like "Mr. Parkinson" and "Hey Roy". Indeed, if it weren't for the dates on the back tray card and liners, this music could have been recorded yesterday. Very worthwhile. laughingoutlaw.com.au

Herb Eimmerman -- Just Barely Famous (UnderthedomE): The Illinois pop artist is back with another slew of mid-tempo pop tunes that touch on familiar sounds and themes, bridging the years between Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers to the great ‘70s power pop bands that were inspired by them. At its best, the songs are blissful. Like "Unbreakable", a sunshiney melody with devotional lyrics and some nice George Harrison-style lead guitar licks. The George Harrison connection is no coincidence, as Herb covers the Quiet Beatle's "Stuck Inside a Cloud". This track, from Harrison's final LP, has a classic Harrison melody, and Eimerman does well by it. If you know the original tune, then you have a good idea of where Eimerman's sensibilities lie, as it fits perfectly with his originals on this disc. Other top tracks include the old fashioned ballad "I Leave It All Up to You", which could have been done in the ‘50s or ‘60s, the gentle "Puttin' My Things in a Suitcase", which he co-wrote with Swedish power popper Stefan Johansson, and another co-write with Johansson, "The Ocean Is Blue". I can see why Jam Recordings puts out Herb's records, as he sometimes reminds me of a mellower version of Jam label head Jeremy. The only caveats with this disc are: 1) the material is quite consistent, and the biggest flaw in the album is that Eimerman could stand to vary his approach a bit more, and, 2) while 16 songs is nice value for the money, when an artist is so consistent, some might find that the material blurs together a bit too much. Of course, for some, 16 tracks won't be enough. jamrecordings.com

Scott Miller & The Commonwealth -- Citation (Sugar Hill): The former V-Roys frontman has carved out a swell solo career. His new album, produced by Jim Dickinson, is eloquent Southern pop-rock with plenty of drawl and twang. Miller is a storyteller whose music is familiar, but always sounds fresh. From the lyrical side, you could compare Miller to Steve Earle, while musically, fans of Clem Snide and Dolly Varden would really get into this. Heck, fans of the rustic side of John Cougar Mellencamp might also dig this. On "Still People Are Moving", the mid-tempo verses are contrasted by a more uptempo bridge out of the chorus -- this song is on par with the rocking side of Uncle Tupelo in its prime. The song is about a guy in a stagnant place wondering why he can't get things going with people moving around everywhere. Miller pulls off a great cover of Neil Young's "Hawks And Doves", which is performed with a sardonic edge and plenty of great guitar picking. If I could pick one song that shows the easy brilliance of Miller, it would be "Only Everything", which is a dramatic jangle rocker. The song builds from its verses to a super catchy chorus. Moreover, skillfully using plain language and a sophisticated rhyme scheme that integrates perfectly with the music, Miller sketches a man with a bad temper and more troubles underneath who just drove his woman away: "A short fuse/is just an excuse/of a bitter man/ but it's fair warning/there's something in there deep." There's also a nice bit of acoustic country shuffle on the wise "Wild Things". Simply a terrific disc. sugarhillrecords.com

Quasi -- When The Going Gets Dark (Touch And Go): The ex-spouse duo of Sam (ex-Heatmiser) Coombes and Janet (Sleater Kinney) Weiss has been cranking out quality records for years. But even diehard fans had to admit that the last couple of records had become kind of standardized -- sure, Coombes wrote nice pop melodies and smart lyrics, and then ran them through the combination of his heavy keyboards and Weiss's awesome drumming, but it was getting to be old hat. While Quasi doesn't tear up the playbook on this album, they loosen up and push their formula a bit and the results are very effective. A great example of this approach is the rollicking "Peace and Love", which sounds like a pretty typical Quasi song, though played just a little bit harder, Weiss's drum rolls and fills smacking hard. But instead of getting back into the song, Weiss and Coombes keep pounding away, throwing in a stinging guitar solo. My only complaint is they should have kept going a few more minutes. The middle of the record has more songs along these lines. "Beyond the Sky" starts off with Coombes singing angelically, but after a couple verses, the song breaks down. Coombes plays keyboards that sound like strings and then squalls of feedback enter into the picture. It's doomy and psychedelic. The psychedelic vibe continues on "Presto Change-o", primarily due to the Eastern styled melodic line of this instrumental. Then there's "Merry X-Mas", which is jazz influenced, and shows that Coombes can really tinkle the ivories, while offering bitter observations like "I was blind, blind inside/but now I see how you told the truth/when you lied to me." Not every song is a reinvention of the band, but that's fine. It's just great to hear Quasi expand their sound, while remaining true to what makes them such a swell band. touchandgorecords.com

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