Be Careful What You Call Home

Paul Duncan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 8, 2005)
• Original Release Date: November 8, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hometapes
• ASIN: B000BITA02
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,241 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice little electro - acoustic folk album, November 24, 2005

By 

somethingexcellent (Lincoln, NE United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Be Careful What You Call Home (Audio CD)

Paul Duncan creates hushed folk rock music by way of modern digital experimentation. His second album Be Careful What You Call Home mixes nearly equal parts lush acoustic instrumentation and sonic noodling by way of Christian Fennesz. In fact, one the closest comparisons musically might be another musician who creates somewhat similar-sounding work, and who has released digitally-deconstructed experiments with Fennesz himself, namely Jim O'Rourke. Another part of the comparison is probably because of the breathy, multi-tracked vocals of Duncan on many tracks, but that will be explained further.

Duncan has a little bit of help from friends on the release, including Claudia Deheza (who was in On Air Library and has also worked with Prefuse 73 recently), and Bear In Heaven artists Joe Stickney and Adam Wills. The result is an varied batch of tracks from the young artist that works most of the time, and even when it doesn't, it's ambitious at the very least. "In A Way" opens the release with muffled percussion and some gorgeous guitar melodies that wrap around chimes and the multi-tracked vocals of Duncan. At two minutes, the track is far too short, but as with several other places on the release, it actually leaves you wanting a bit more rather than wearing you down.

The Jim O'Rourke reference comes into full play on "Tired And Beholden" as some sparse piano melodies mix in alongside acoustic and electronic guitar, synths, crisp drumming, and male/female vocal harmonies. One can even hear a bit of the Super Furry Animals in the mid-tempo rhodes-rock of "Oil In The Fields" while "Toy Bass" is breezy, yet somewhat driving instrumental pop by way of the windy city.

In places, the album seems to get a bit bogged down with random sonic experiments. Neither "Toy Bell" and "Aria (Cave Song)" are by any means annoying or bad, but the former is yet another take on processed bells, while the latter is simply a couple minutes of guitar noodles that don't really go much of anywhere. In other places, though, the album seems to burst into new territory altogether, as with the stuttering, crisp "Content To Burn," which perfectly mixes the electronic and organic elements into a short, hummable track that once again feels too short. With thirteen tracks running under forty five minutes in length, Be Careful What You Call Home is a polished second release from the young songwriter (with beautiful packaging as usual from the Hometapes label).

(from almost cool music reviews)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good electronic-tinged indie rock record which nobody will ever hear - 4.5 stars, January 6, 2006

By 

C. Cross - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Be Careful What You Call Home (Audio CD)

Paul Duncan's "Be Careful What You Call Home" is but another in a slew of good (electronic-tinged) indie rock albums this year that probably nobody will ever hear. It's a shame, too, because Paul Duncan is very good at what he does - his voice, his instrumentation, his lyrics...they're all well done. "Tired & Beholden" is also a pretty hitworthy track (one of my indie rock favorites of this year). Not every song is as catchy as this one, but they're ALL very interesting to listen to. He sometimes uses some kid's instruments which creates some odd-yet-curious songs (which are suitably named "Toy Bell", "Toy Piano" and "Toy Bass"). It's just a very creative album. Except for "Tired & Beholden", I'm not sure if it will appeal to most people. Indie rock fans and the open-minded, however, will no doubt like this album. Highly recommended!

Highlights include:
"In A Way"
"Tired & Beholden"
"Oil In The Fields"
"Content To Burn"
the rest are good, too

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasant Discovery, A Promising Artist, May 7, 2006

By 

Tom Ferguson "Music Enthusiast" (Chickamauga, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Be Careful What You Call Home (Audio CD)

A friend of mine loaned this album to me. I was immediately impressed by Mr. Duncan's musical and vocal talents. Obviously influenced by Gastr del Sol and other avant garde performers, his recordings are, fortunately, additionally infused with a sense of longing not typical to the genre. As a fellow Southerner/lifelong small-town resident, I'm convinced that it is his particular life experiences that enrich his compositions with the aforementioned emotional depth, a unique Southern yearning. All he needs to do now is to hone his lyrics, upon which he will be a truly formidable recording artist.