Customer Reviews

Songs From the Year of Our Demise

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Most of the other reviewers have pretty much summed up my feelings. This recording is perfect in most every way. No filler and a nice flow throughout. Jon is amongst my favorite songwriters. Harry Chapin, George Harrison, Robyn Hitchcock and Jon probably round out my top 4. All of them have one thing in common, not only can they write an original song, but their desciptive lyrics paint such a vivid picture that you can't help but almost see what they see while listening. That is a talent that does not come along often and I am thankful everytime I get to see The Posies or Jon perform. I bought 4 copies (so far) of this release and gave them to people who would normally not seek this particular CD out, but I knew would like it. Each one of them has said what a wonderful recording it is and are now seeking Jon's other work as well as looking for old Posies CD's. Everybody needs to spread the word, buy a copy or two for friends and have them pass it on. This is way too good of a CD to pass up.

This album was definitely worth the wait! It delivers! All the magic and creativity he brings to the Posies plus more! As a Posies fan who values the rare melodic sensitivities and the use of harmonies to communicate an often dark message, I am not in the least disappointed here. It never ceases to amaze me how a group like the Ps (and in this case Jon) can have the distorted guitar energy while at the same time singing a beautiful tune in choral like harmony. Obviously, If you love the Posies you'll love this album.

All the songs are great, especially 'Six Feet Under' and the solo accoustic tracks, 'Cemetery Song' and 'Wicked World'(which have the magic of Jon's songs on Dear 23). But for me, 'Josephine' was worth the price of the CD. Everything I love about Jon's music is captured in this one song: a catchy tune with a liberal painting of droning and layered guitars and the pure signature voice and the usual harmonies. Buy this CD!

I discovered this album a couple of months ago and can't stop listening to it. It is truly a personal masterpiece. I know it's a connection most folks wouldn't draw, but I would compare this (and very favorably) with Aimee Mann's Bachelor No. 2.

This is great when you are looking for some nice music to listen to. Jon Auer has a great voice. I first heard him on an Elvis Costello cover compilation CD where he does "Beyond Belief" - which is a absolutely excellent! After that, I had to buy Songs from the Year of Our Demise, and, you know what, I like it.

I'm a huge Jon Auer/Posies Fan and have been since Failure. I was hoping for a more upbeat album that I could rock out to in the car like what I'd heard of Jon's previous solo stuff.

This is not a rockin' album with Pop anthems like many a Posies record of the past. This is a collection of heartfelt songs that are sung with real emotion and crafted with tremendous skill. For that I salute this album and Jon for being bold enough to really put himself out there. How many of us are really that brave?

The songs: There are a number of tracks on this album that catch me by surprise and make me think. Cemetary Song, Six Feet Under, Bottom of the Bottle, and My Sweet Unknown really blow me away and I've really grown to love these songs as much as any Posies or Jon Auer work from the past.

Form your own opinion, but that is my two cents.

I've been a Posies fan since "Dear 23". That album remains not only my favorite by the band but one of my all-time favorites. I can't believe I'm saying this but "...Demise" is at least as good as "Dear 23". The other reviewers here have done a much better job than I ever could of explaining why this album is so incredible. It's gorgeous, sad, and beautiful...pretty much perfection!

It's BEE-YU-TEE-FUL. Auer's voice has never sounded sweeter and the songs are gorgeous, lonely, resentful, regretful, loving, and heartbreaking. The last Posies album wasn't quite as enjoyable as their others, so it was a more than pleasant surprise to see that Auer was saving his best songs for this album. "Josephine", "Song Noir", and "Six Feet Under" are the standout tracks for me, but all of the songs are completely engaging and none of them skip worthy.