There are a lot of reviews here already, so I'll keep it short and sweet. Wonderful, catchy, pop songs for people who don't think they like pop! And one last word: FUN! Go get it-NOW!

I really enjoyed Ms. Cary's work with Whiskeytown, and her first solo LP, "While You Weren't Looking." This cd is quite good-strong song writing, gentle vocals that play well off of the musical arrangements, and a wonderful backing band. Among the topics she writes about are a broken marriage, sleeping in on Sunday with your lover, about letting your feelings out, a friend she's lost contact with, and she does it in a way that really makes you think about your own life. There's a nice mix of folk, rock, pop and country-sometimes within the same song like "Sleeping in on Sunday." The one straight up country song is called "Please Break My Heart" and it is a real gem. I can imagine Patsy Cline singing this song if she were still alive! "Cello Girl" is a rock song that really grows on you with repeated listens-it's one of my favorite songs on the cd. The closing song is called "I Want To Learn To Waltz With You," and it's the only one that Ms. Cary didn't write herself. It's a song of real grace and beauty, and she does a beautiful version of it here. (Just for the record, Peter Holsapple wrote it, and it was performed by his former band The Continental Drifters on the cd Vermilion.) A must have for all Caitlin Cary fans, and anyone that enjoys well-thought out songs that give equal prominence to the vocals, lyrical content, and the music that accompanies it.

That's the opening line on the first song, "The Weakest Shade of Blue." My advice: GO! This is a gem of a record-bright, shiny, shimmering, rock-influenced pop. Intricate melodies, often ambiguous lyrics, and glorious vocals, played and sung with a controlled restraint that shows the band knows how to construct a SONG. The music and vocals perfectly intertwine to propel the SONG forward. Produced by band members Thom Monahan and Joe Pernice, you know they took a lot of care putting this together, and it's obvious they paid attention to every detail. A great cd by a great band--highly recommended!

Neil vents his anger on this one-anger at the music industry, fans, the movie industry, himself, and all the senseless drug deaths of his friends. It's barely produced, in fact it almost has the sound of a live recording-ragged and rough playing and singing. The lyrics are excellent, and convey a sense of anger and an urgency to let it all out. This is not party music, folks. It's for late nights alone, when you need a soul cleansing. Oddly enough, there is almost a sense of relief, and maybe even hopefullness by the time you get to the end. Despite all the angry and dark lyrics, there is a complete lack of bitterness, and a feeling that he said what he had to say in song, and can now move on. A MUST for all of Neil Young fans, and anyone who appreciates well written lyrics. Highly Recommended!

I'm going to keep this short and sweet--I LOVE this cd because of the raw energy. It is barely produced-it sounds like they just plugged in, picked up the microphone, turned it up to 10, and hit record, in someone's basement! Great songs, rough, ragged playing, voices that seem to appear out of nowhere, it feels like you're in the room with them. Long live Americana, long live the Continental Drifters. Highly recommended!

I'm going to keep this short and sweet--I LOVE this cd because of the raw energy. It is barely produced-it sounds like they just plugged in, picked up the microphone, turned it up to 10, and hit record, in someones basement! Great songs, rough, ragged playing, voices that seem to appear out of nowhere, it feels like your in the room with them. Long live Americana, long live the Continental Drifters. Highly recommended!

She might be named Kathleen Edwards. I think the song writing style is a perfect blend of those two artists. She writes about failed relationships, not being accepted in the "boys" club that run so much of the music industry, not being able to get her songs played on the radio, having an affair with an older man, too much drink and drugs, and you have no doubt she has sufferred heartache, a thread that runs through most of Lucinda Williams songs. But wait...because she also strikes back. In the song "Westby" she sings "If you weren't so old, I'd probably keep you/ if you weren't so old I'd tell all my friends/ but I don't think your wife would like my friends." In "One More Song the Radio Won't Like," she sings "Reel it in and shut your mouth/reputations are in doubt/write a hit so I can talk you up/ no one likes a girl who won't sober up." Ryan Adams writes a lot like that-songs about being hurt, but he finds a way to poke a finger in the eye. She does that in virtually every song and she sings like she REALLY means it! The band is excellent; they play rock with a country edge. My favorite song is the opener "Six O'Clock News." It's a catchy tune steeped in irony-the boyfriend seems to snap, he's holed up, he's got a gun, and the one thing that might save him is hearing that his girlfriend is pregnant. Alas, she is not allowed near him to deliver the news, and he ends up dead, all over the evening news. Potent songwriting! Highly recommended, and I think this is an artist to watch.

Three eleven-year old friends are changed forever by an incident that happens to one of the boys, David Boyle. They are also undeniably shaped by how they grew up-David and Jimmy on the rough side of town, plagued by poverty, and Sean who grew up in a more financially stable middle-class part of town. Fast forward to the here and now-Jimmy's teen-age daughter is brutally murdered, and it seems that David might have done it. Sean, now an officer of the law, is one of the investigators. He doesn't really think David did it, but he has some doubts. The author does a good job with dialogue, and the town settings, and character details, are just right. It's a quick read, and the ending will surprise you. It is just so unexpected--it almost feels like a gut-punch. So, bottom line, if you like a well-written whodunit with an ending that will definitely surpise you, this is your book. I'm going to check out some of Dennis Lehane's other books. Highly recommended!

What a talented group this is! Beautiful vocals, harmonies, duets, melodies, great instrumentation-they have it all. Most of the songs are written with broad strokes-you can fill in the details yourself. As someone who is deeply interested in lyrical content, I enjoy and appreciate this approach. The production is superb, the band really plays well, and you can tell this group has worked long and hard with each other. The songs are mostly about the joy of music, dysfunctional families (but I'm not quite sure who's at fault), love gone wrong and love gone right, and leaving that anger behind. There's a slight hint of country on a few of the songs, and it adds a nice texture to the sound. My favorite song is the hauntingly beautiful "The Lotus Hour" with Diane Christiansen doing the vocals and some subtle slide guitar played by Al Perkins. Another favorite is "There's A Magic" which is a song about love for the long haul. The rest of the cd is really great, and on any given day I have a new favorite, which is really the hallmark of a great record. Highly Recommended!

I like this! As a long time fan of Mr. Adams, I find this cd a most enjoyable listen. While I find the opening song a bit of a snooze, it picks up considerably on "Shallow" where the chorus goes "You're taking me higher than ever before/and leaving me shallow." He's really rocking by "1974" and "Wish You Were Here" is a nice rocker, too, though he got a little sloppy (and foul-mouthed) with the lyrics here. "So Alive" features stunning guitar work, possibly his best ever, with a vocal performance that literally soars, also possibly his best ever. "Luminol" has some wonderful guitar riffs, and a really catchy chorus "I'm spinning round the room in awe/in awe/ in awe/IN AWE!" I think you get the picture-this is a rock album that really rocks! It's quite different from his other cd's-he's never plugged in (loud!) for an entire cd before, and he usually sings over the music after he has brought the noise level down. Not here-he sings over and right through the cranked up guitars-with full throat rawness! Great guitar work throughout (Mr. Adams himself played most of the guitars) and Johnny T's drumming suits the songs perfectly. I'd give it a five if the lyrics were better written--although he does get off some great lines including "She isn't crazy/She's just not impressed" and "Don't change for anyone/don't change, just lie." Ironically, the only acoustic song on the disc is the title track, "Rock and Roll" and it is a real gem. If yor ready to hear Mr. Adams like you have never heard him before, or you like a good rock song, pick this up, its a good listen. Highly recommended!