Jason Lytle 'Yours Truly The Commuter'

Jason Lytle, one-time Grandaddy frontman, returns with a new album which sounds so much like a Grandaddy record that you have to wonder why he needed to go solo.

Obviously the dreamy, floating vocals are still there but so is the mix of electronics and acoustics, sad vocals over jaunty melodies and the feeling, present on the last two Grandaddy albums, that an opportunity has been missed ever so slightly.

Lytle starts off with his most strident song, the title track, with its "I may be limping/ but I'm coming home" refrain and some crunchy guitar. The album is frontloaded with the livelier radio-friendly tunes, including 'It's The Weekend', which sounds like something by the Wannadies used by Sky Sports in the mid 90s.

The better stuff is the more experimental, 'This Song is the Mute Button' is minimal and stark and 'Brand New Sun' is the electro-folk cousin of Grandaddy's 'Now Its On'.

This is a really nice sounding record. Lyrically, Lytle offers a critique of the stresses and strains of the modern world, a good subject from someone who has recently escaped it all to live in the Countryside. He sounds at peace here and has made a breezy, enjoyable record that doesn't challenge but will please his fans.

7.2

['Yours Truly The Commuter' is out now on cd/LP from Anti]

various bits of news about T&G friendly artists.

- Mark Kozelek is continuing his attempt to break Pearl Jam's record for the highest number of live albums released in a career. By my reckoning he released three live albums last year and two the year before and now he is releasing two more in the next month!

'Lost Verses live' was recorded during his 2007/2008 solo tour....which means yet another solo live album with lots of guitar picking. Surely it is time for a full band Sun Kil Moon live album? Either way the track listing here is very tempting:

1. Unlit Hallway
2. Carry Me Ohio
3. Four Fingered Fisherman
4. Moorestown
5. Salvador Sanchez
6. Heron Blue
7. Lost Verses
8. Tiny Cities
9. Lucky Man
10. Send In The Clowns
11. Harper Road
12. Tonight In Bilbao
13. Blue Orchids
14. Katy Song

That is released on April 1 on Caldo Verde...as is a completely un-necessary but free (if you buy 'Lost Verses live') live album named 'Find Me Ruben Olivares- live in Spain' which has such a similar track listing that I won't bother typing it out. In other Koz news, all-time classic Red House Painters album 'Songs For A Blue Guitar' is releases on vinyl for the first time in May.

- Former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle releases an album which has a title that I can't believe hasn't already been a Grandaddy album title on May 19th...'Yours Truly, The Commuter'. T&G should be hearing a track from that later on, so will report back.

- My disappointment at missing M. Ward's two recent London gigs has been slightly eased by the news that he plays Shepherds Bush Empire on June 30th. Tickets available...hang on.....now!

more news and a Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album review, coming soonish.