Customer Reviews

Million Star Hotel

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

 

 

The title of Foster's latest work is a reference to homelessness, but the album itself should definitely find a place to live in your collection.

The first thing you will notice right out of the wrapper is the sheer amount of music on the disc--14 tracks clocking in at just over 65 minutes. Albums that length are a great value only if they also have depth and this one does. There are really no bad songs or "throwaways" on the entire disc and a number of them will catch your attention the first time through. Whether it's one of the middle-of-the-road rockers like Little Priest or Lost in My Own Town, or whether its one of the haunting, softer songs like Long Gone Sailor or Milk and Honey, I promise you will wind up singing something from the album all day long. All of the songs are beautifully arranged and benefit from production and mastering techniques that give the album a three-dimensional, layered sound not found often enough these days.

Before I got the album, I heard Foster's music compared to Neil Young and Jeff Lynne, among others. Those influences are certainly there, and I also hear a good bit of Tom Petty with pieces of Wilco and Ryan Adams. Still, the important thing about the album is that when you get done figuring out who it sounds like that you've heard before, you'll also find that Foster has found his own sound and has used it to make beautiful statements about things in life that puzzle us all.

I could go on, but this is the bottom line. I attended the album release, was impressed enough to buy one for myself and a couple for Christmas presents, listened to it on the way home and again with the headphones on, and woke up this morning with All I Do is Dream running through my head and a smile on my face. If you are looking for some great indie rock or just great music, check into the Million Star Hotel.

This is one well crafted record. I have played it at least a dozen times in the last week and it just keeps getting better. There is absolutely no filler here. Each song is top notch. Once you discover Jeffrey Dean Foster you will want to buy a copy of a record he made with the Pinetops a few years back. It's titled "Above Ground and Vertical"