When Cherry Garcia Blossoms Bloom. First off, except for its ubiquitous harmonica player, Blues Traveler has never had the slightest connection to blues. For its first release in four years, press releases heralded major changes. If groove-based cuts like Back in the Day and You Reach Me had promise, they are completely sabotaged by Popper, whose bouncy vocals make Mr. Rogers sound soulful, while the lyrics to Girl Inside My Head and Just for Me make a fella long for the indecipherable prose of Robert Hunter. The real crime is that these guys are good musicians who happen to have horrible taste.
Melodies are pretty, hooks gorgeous.
Shelby Bryant, a Southern dandy late of Memphis popsters the Clears, precariously treads that fine line. So Fine, you can hear a real heart beating, albeit pulsing at the speed of someone hopped up on Cap n Crunch straight from the box. Argyle Heir is the Brooklyn-based combo s most perfect recording, loaded with gently baroque, quietly cinematic tunes that leisurely melt away in your head. The flutter of flutes, trumpets and country-twanged guitar are always unfussy and understated, while Gary Olson s relaxed voice provides a brittle contrast. The melodious Perfect for Shattering spotlights the sublime wind and brass flurries, while the fragile The Reclusive Hero could be an outtake from Nico s Chelsea Girl period.