Customer Reviews

American Diary

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All of Bob Nanna's work has demonstrated his ability to craft distinctive and catchy songs that demand repeated listens. City On Film, following his amazing work with bands like Hey Mercedes, Braid and Friction to name a few, continues that tradition of greatness focusing on writing personal lyrics that grab the listener with enough pop sensibilities to craft some truly beautiful melodies. American Diary is a short but amazing release that does not disappoint. At just 6 songs, it's almost a bit short but still worth the money by far.

1) 'Mary, I'm Ready' - a nice meandering acoustic number with a bit of background sampling to keep things interesting. 8/10
2) 'Pony's Last Trick' - by far my favorite on this album and one of my favorite songs in general, this one's faster paced, electric, and backed by a full band with a melody that's as pretty as it is catchy. 10/10
3) 'Astray! Astray!' - back to acoustics on this but maintaining the full band. It's a solid song though it didn't stand out quite as much the other tracks. As always though, Nanna's vocals are a treat. 7/10
4) 'You're Gonna Need That Patience Soon' - ...and we're back to full band electrics again! Melody is bouncy and lyrics are on point. Great song, simple as that. 9/10
5) 'Well, It Goes Like This' - a slower jam and unfortunately the only one that falls a bit flat on this album. It's pretty mellow and it's not a bad song, the lyrics are certainly solid, just not my cup of tea. 5/10
6) 'Conclusion' - and the album comes full circle using an instrumental version of 'Mary'. Because the melody was so solid, it's nice to be able to just relax and listen to the nuances of each instrument. A delightful way to end the album. 8/10