Tag Archives: yes no maybe so

Shawn Mullins’ “Light You Up” (2010) – YES, NO, MAYBE SO?

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Shawn Mullins’ Light You Up (2010) – MAYBE

Light You Up (Shawn Mullins, 2010)

Light You Up (Shawn Mullins, 2010)

(October 12, 2010)

Review:

Mullins is a distinctive songwriter, steeped in tradition but indisputably original, and he assembles a keenly woven set of tracks in Light You Up — still, there is something tauntingly brief about Matthew Sweet’s appearance on “California.”  (You petered out after your debut, so mull it over: an electric Thorns album would be sweet!)

Top Two Tracks:

“California” & “The Ghost of Johnny Cash”

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House of Heroes’ “Suburba” (2010) – YES, NO, MAYBE SO?

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House of Heroes’ Suburba (2010) – MAYBE SO

Suburba (House of Heroes, 2010)

Suburba (House of Heroes, 2010)

(August 3, 2010)

Review:

Energetic and ambitious, both musically and lyrically: this is how I would describe Suburba, an album that keenly navigates the alternative and Christian genres, pulling in stereotypical, “expected” components but not without a few innovative surprises.

Top Two Tracks:

“God Save the Foolish Kings” & “Love is For the Middle Class”

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Elvis Costello’s “National Ransom” (2010) – YES, NO, MAYBE SO?

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Elvis Costello’s National Ransom (2010) – MAYBE NOT

National Ransom (Elvis Costello, 2010)

National Ransom (Elvis Costello, 2010)

(November 2, 2010)

Review:

Aside from a few sparking moments and a couple notable tracks, National Ransom feels more like a collection of sixteen songs that didn’t make the cut for Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, which was in every way a more engaging, dynamic, and cohesive effort.

Top Two Tracks:

“A Slow Drag With Josephine” & “Five Little Words”

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Jukebox the Ghost’s “Everything Under the Sun” (2010) – YES, NO, MAYBE SO?

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Jukebox the Ghost’s Everything Under the Sun (2010) – MAYBE SO

Everything Under The Sun (Jukebox the Ghost, 2010)

Everything Under The Sun (Jukebox the Ghost, 2010)

(September 7, 2010)

Review:

The follow-up to their outstanding debut (Let Live and Let Ghosts), Everything Under the Sun is a catchy, quirky, and dynamic set of piano rock tracks that strongly establish Jukebox the Ghost as a band able to not only write great songs but also assemble clever, meaningful studio albums.

Top Two Tracks:

“Empire” & “The Popular Thing”

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