'This aura of genuineness is [the album's] greatest strength, and helps to make it truly memorable. Everything is subtle and unforced, simply begging for repeated listens.. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, it's clearly one of the best singer/songwriter albums of the year'
-someone over at Splendid hears Shelley Short and understands...

And from the same label that brought us Oh' say little dogies, why?, a new mp3 from Chad King. Mmmm...

After too long, exquisite New York eight-piece Hem finally get to put out a follow-up to the creamily charming parlour twang of debut album Rabbit songs. Having found a sympathetic home at Rounder Records, Eveningland is released October 5...
Hem ~ Rounder ~ PR

And on the subject of second albums, hmmm..Tift Merritt. Despite naming it in honour of the most important instrument in popular music, Tambourine sounds (or rather reads) like a mis-step of Shelby Lynne proportions. 'George Drakoulias', 'Muscle Shoals', 'Sheryl Crow'... dear oh dear. And yet, and yet..stripped down to an unplugged two-guitar, two-voice setting for a KCRW session last week it's a whole different and totally winning story [see/hear]...

So then, Unbunny. 'Snow Tires is easily one of this year's stunning musical surprises,' according to this reviewer while over at Americana-UK it's similarly heralded: 'One of the most beautiful records of the year, evocative of Elliot Smith and Neil Young but with more heartbreaking fragile chord changes of the kind Mark Linkous used to do so well with Sparklehorse..9/10.' Blimey, etc. Not quite the same conclusions reallyrather came to [see July 8]. This blog has tried again, is trying right now, but nope, it still sounds nice enough but instantly way too familiar & indistinct. Take out the Neil Young element, throw in a few quirky production choices and you're in the same territory Slowreader staked out rather more appealingly back in '02 [rr review]...

And The Joy of Contrariness, cont'd:
Aberfeldy YES! Aberfeldy Noooooo!

'The singer who changed Dave Eggers' life,' was the lollipop above the masthead of Wednesday's Guardian newspaper. So who would that be then, Dave? But of course...

Could singer/songwriter Deb Talan change anybody's life? Maybe not but she could surely brighten up many more than have yet to discover her (ie. pretty much the whole world). 'Talan's songs flow freely,' said one (of the few) reviews of '03's A bird flies out, 'With a rootsy drawl reminiscent of Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball and the kind of production ethic that would be at home in an episode of Dawson's Creek.' Actually, for Dawson's Creek read new series One Tree Hill which has already included Talan's Tell your story walking in it's first run. Peddling an attractive line in Vega/Chapman/Colvin-with a touch of bright-eyed twang, it's Talan's non-corny homespun optimism and distinctive vocal (some very appealing Ooo-hoo-hoos) which lift her up out of some seriously over-populated territory.
Talan's most recent incarnation as one half of the The Weepies [see rr Jan04] is pop-country-folk-lite... but still good. Uber-nice really, and they're making friends wherever they go on the current tour. How someone with such obvious mainstream appeal remains unsigned is baffling indeed...
Deb Talan ~ A bird flies out