It can be awkward to review an album when the musician is a personal friend, especially when one of the songs references events one has personally witnessed, but not in this case. The music speaks for itself. This compilation of songs composed over the last eight years confirms Gavin Taaffe’s status as an upcoming singer-songwriter worth comparing to Bruce Cockburn or Sufjan Stevens. The lyrics are intelligent, subtle, supple… and, yes, sad. You should have a taste for concentrated pessimism tempered by a sense of survival to enjoy them. Ineffable feelings of disappointment, loss, and longing are captured in crisp verbal images and piquant melodic phrases and guitar licks. Recommended for late-night listening.
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