With Heaven On Top

the take

Lengthy review Im giving it a 7.5/10, maybe closer to a 7 - I think smth I actually like about his music is that for the most part he plays it safe and keeps it fairly consistent. Which usually makes the best part of his songs the lyrics and especially the character work. This album’s definitely lyrically weak but mannnn do I love the production and engineering, a very pleasant surprise. There’s almost like a Bon Iver vibe to the instrumentation and the buildups (for lack of a better comparison / maybe also cuz it kinda reminds me of the Boys of Faith EP). Also a big fan of the amount of brass… oldtimey swing country vibes. Very big fan of the run from Deann’s Denim thru Slicked Back. Unfortunately feel like it does fall off a bit towards the end, ironically cuz it loses the new flavor and sounds too much like his older stuff. Also in general it’s pretty bulky and tempo-wise super inconsistent. But at least the new sound for the most part maintains an independent sound Favs: Bad News!!!, dry deserts, Santa Fe, rivers and creeks. Appetite is also such a well written song I wish he actually tried singing on it. Or even pawned it off to someone else lol