So far in my humble opinion 2002 is the best year in a long time for independent releases. With the exception of the new project by The Benjamin Gate, all of the stuff that has come out of Nashville so far this year has been lame and uninspiring. This new album by John Austin is the exact opposite of that, this is virtually a perfect album. From the packaging to the overall sound to the sheer amount of songs found on this venture everything about it yells excitement and greatness. I can honestly say that this is my favorite album so far this year and it has been a very good year. There are twenty songs here and each one of them is a gem, there isn't a clunker in the bunch.
Joining John as usual is vocalist Erin Echo, who as usual is absolutely superb. To list all of the players on this project would take up the rest of the review but let me just say that the musicians listed in the credits reads like a who's who of some of the best players in independent music. The majority of the album was recorded, mixed and produced under the watchful eye of Martin Kearns in Atlanta for Serious Hip Productions. The album artwork was handled by Juli Kearns in a style reminiscent of Jimmy Abegg or to a certain extent the late Rev. Howard Finster. The art portion of the album totally complements the sonic portion. It has been ten years since the release of John's first album "The Embarrassing Young" and that ten years has brought about a sense of maturity and confidence which becomes more and more evident with each release.
Right now I would tend to say that my favorite cuts on the album are "Cool Morning," "Love Preys," and "East Virginia Blue." If you are not familiar with John's work this is the perfect way to start, if you are already a fan, then by all means add this one to your collection.
5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Dave KerschbaumIt's been four years since John Austin gave us his masterpiece, If I Was A Latin King, a complete concept album which featured then-fiancée, now-wife Erin Echo on backing vocals and Bill Campbell's "basement wall of sound" guitars. It may have taken him four years, but Austin has followed with an epic twenty-song disc, Busted at the Pearly Gates. Clocking in at an impressive 72 minutes, Austin…Similar sounding releases
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