Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a masterpiece of pop songcraft, June 13, 2006
Jon Auer's first full-length solo album was a long time coming. It is obviously a pet project, a concept album throughout, packed with good songwriting.
Like Lucinda Williams did with "Car Wheels," Auer spent years polishing this one to perfection, while impatient fans began to doubt it would ever be finished. Fortunately the result is not over-tweaked.
This disc equals the Posies two five-star albums (Dear 23 and Frosting) in terms of sheer quality, but the solo album is different, serving up a variety of tempos and arrangements that add up to a masterpiece of pop songcraft.
Auer's talents as singer, songwriter and producer are showcased here. If anything seems missing, it is his fiery guitar licks, which normally provide the power in the Posies pop.
The acoustic material works very well, and some of the sparest arrangements, "Wicked World" and "Song Noir," are among the best. Auer's new wife (Michelle Price of the Dear John Letters) shares songwriting credits on "Song Noir."
The song "Adios" starts with muffled piano chords that conjure up the atmosphere of a long-lost John Lennon track. "Funeral Song" sure sounds like it's about a death in the family, but in the end it seems to be another expression of grief at the Demise of a domestic partnership. It doesn't really matter - heartbreak and death always inspire great art.
The first 45 seconds of the stunning opener, "Six Feet Under," convinced me this album was worth the wait. At the line "love is blind to those who see" Auer's voice not only reaches effortless highs, but still has that certain indescribable richness in tone that prompted critics to compare the early Posies to the Hollies.
"Likes of You" sounds like it might work well as a Posies tune, with its quiet verse and expansive chorus. Its image of weeds growing in an untended yard recalls one of the best early Posies tunes, "Everyone Moves Away."
The theme of that earlier tune pervades this album. Kids grow up, parents grow old and die, spouses part, loss of love is inevitable, but Auer's voice delivers all this heartfelt sadness with a soothing beauty.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Auer confirms his ability, January 12, 2007
I have always believed Jon Auer to be the more talented of the Posie's duo, and with this release he has certainly confirmed his greater ability. The album is a slow burner, which gradually slips into your psyche. There is nothing new, or experimental about this album, just beautifully crafted songs that, like a fine wine, get better with every hearing.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Any fan of beautiful pop craftsmanship NEEDS this., May 26, 2006
Over the course of time, I've followed Jon's career somewhat extensively, with the Posies, and also as a solo artist. I never cease to be amazed with his absolutley incredible songwriting. Often sad, yet still inspiring, a true gift. On this first full length he's released, he constructs his framework of killer pop structures and then hangs beautiful strings, lush instrumentations, soaring harmonies, and occasionally that huge guitar tone we all love him for. And through it all, his hauntingly pure vocals paint such vivid imagery, it's as many of the other reviewers put it - it's so very easy to get lost in it all. And what a wonderful place it is.
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