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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This guy's brilliant!!, February 6, 2003
I saw Howie Day when he opened for Tori Amos in Manchester, and by the end of his first song I knew I'd buy his album. He used special effects pedals and looped sections of guitar play and singing, repeating them, so by the end of each song there seemed to be a choir of acoustic guitars, and was probably one of the coolest things I've seen in ages.My one and only complaint about the album is that there are only ten songs! It's a travesty, I swear. To me, this is a debut that ranks alongside Imogen Heap's "I Megaphone" in the fact that I couldn't get it off repeat in my CD player. I could run through the songs one by one and tell what they're about, but to be honest I haven't got that far yet. Aside from one or two cases, I haven't worked out the stories behind the lyrics even though I sing along to them. At the moment, "Australia" is pure sound and emotion to me, and for the time being, I couldn't care less what he's saying. Someone else might react differently to these songs, but there's no doubting this man is great. I can't get enough of the opener, "Sorry So Sorry". It has such a laidback rhythm throughout the verses before letting go of itself and grinding into the chorus. For some reason, I think of REM's "Drive" when I hear this, though it's not so downbeat. When the chorus kicks in, a lesser singer might overdo it and sing too loudly just for the sake of being heard and ruin the mood, but Howie Day doesn't, and the song's great from start to finish. "She Says" is beautiful and shows that his voice has greater range and warmth than we might otherwise think. This song takes you back to reminiscences of a one-time lover. Who knows why? Go figure. "Secret" rocks a little harder than "She Says", and seems to me to be less about memory than immersion in a present relationship. The lyric, "You got the beamiest face" strikes me as a great compliment to pay someone, even though I'd have no idea what someone would be getting at if they said it to me. As I say, the album means more to me emotionally than rationally. "Slow Down" has a great rhythm, electric guitars, and a good-sized pair of cajones. "I'll stay awake for you if you can stay awake for me..." "I don't think I can trust love any more..." There's something pretty dysfunctional about this song, and I love it. "Ghost", if for no other reason, is an appropriate title because it's such a haunting song. I find this song very romantic in that gently melancholy way. "Kristina"... "On the phone to Saturday. Where did you go, 'cause the tequila from your kiss is still around?..." To me, that says it all. It's full of wonderful little gems like that. "...I'll be there waiting for you at the top of the stairs, you will be so beautiful..." "Everything Else" is more up-tempo with a funky little riff and a nice sing-along quality that kind of cries out to be used in a television advert, and a really good one too. "More You Understand" strikes me as being about 20/20 hindsight, and seeing where you went wrong in a lost relationship, and it's great the way the song ends with a more aggressive sound, and it's perfect musical accompaniment to feeling that way. Nostalgia with an edge. "Morning After" is recorded live and it's pretty much a perfect example of what I heard when I saw him open for Tori Amos. It's beautiful, which is made all the more impressive by the fact he's a cool-looking young guy. "Disco" closes the album with an interesting mix of whispers, plinking guitar, gentle vocals, and hope. I listen to this song and it makes me watch the clock, but for once without thinking that time is running out. Instead, I want to say, Hey, I've still got a whole hour and half before today's done! That makes a nice change. I can't help liking this record. I look forward to his follow up, and whenever that might be, I know I won't mind the wait because my "repeat" button is still engaged, and happily disabled on "Australia".
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by Howie Day 
