Sweeney's sand paper voice and deft guitar-playing are complemented by a truly crack band that captures a nice blend of alt. Country influences while still having their own distinct sound. Most of Dear Life revolves around missed chances or lost love and few tackle these issues better than Sweeney. His narrative-style songs are rarely poetic, but always affective. The Trouble With Sweeney have made a record nearly flawless in its execution, Dear Life is an essential listen for all fans of quality rock.
Demo albums are always a risky proposition.
Fortunately, Athens tunesmith Chesnutt is one of the best in the business, and even his scraps are bound to be better than most other artist's finest hours. Droll humor in the face of great pain is Chesnutt's lyrical calling card, and no one does it better. On Left to His Own Devices, Chesnutt's ninth record, his expert lyricism and uncanny drawl are still present in full force, unfortunately, quality songs aren't always there to support them. Other moments are more memorable, although most are equally raw in terms of audio fidelity. Chesnutt plays virtually all the instruments on Left to His Own Devices and the listener is frequently forced to wonder what could have become of the songs if he employed the same crack side-musicians that appeared on classic Chesnutt albums like 1996's About to Choke.