Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
Sonata for Violin & Piano in B Major Kv454
Music: Little Girl [CD-single]
Shanty Town Determination: 1976-1978
Shouldn't Let the Side Down [CD-single] [Import]
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964 - Concert at Philharmonic Hall [Box set] [Live]
Amazon.com
Like Mark Eitzel and the Red 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 Chairs is 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. Chairs just 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 from Death Cab for Cutie and Beulah are better choices than Chairs. --Jennifer Maerz