I Break Chairs
LikeMark Eitzeland theRed House Painters, Damien Jurado has made a name for himself by writing fairly melancholy pop tunes. Over the course of five albums, Jurado has authored enough sad, dark stories to strike a chord with Nick Drake fans and leave listeners' hearts very heavy, but he hasn't really done anything new with his work.I Break Chairsis a different step in Jurado's career, as he brings in a full band (Gathered in Song) that mixes the moody melodies up with slightly higher-energy indie rock tracks--but the overall vibe is still as sedated as his early stuff.Chairsjust kind of ambles along without really going anywhere--even when the tempo changes from pastoral folk to buoyant rock, the song always seems to sound the same. Fans with the "if it ain't broke" attitude toward Jurado's music might find some hidden gems in this album, but for catchier mood-swinging indie pop, releases fromDeath Cab for CutieandBeulahare better choices thanChairs.--Jennifer Maerz