Pete Yorn
musicforthemorningafter

THE REVIEW

This album was released in the USA a year ago without success, and it never reached Europe at all. What can be done? What does Columbia do? Come on, it's good, let's relaunch it, and that's how the single "Strange Condition" was re-recorded with some guitar by Peter Buck from R.E.M., and everything got relaunched. Pete Yorn is the new "rising songwriter," a singer-songwriter born in New Jersey. It's not bad, apart from the first single "Strange Condition", it grabs you, starting with the title, "For Nancy ('Cos It Already Is)": "...and when you said I could not stay with you, that's not the way you would have wanted to, convince yourself that everything's alright, 'cos it already is." Convince yourself that everything is okay because it already is!!! Nice stubbornness. Yorn sings well, with the sleepily narcoleptic tone of a J Mascis or a Stephen Malkmus, but with a decidedly more beautiful and controlled voice, more mainstream. His songs all have an acoustic guitar base (singer-songwriter!) and, here and there in the background, a sleepy distortion, but these are just nods. The production is excellent. Occasionally, an electronic effect disorients, just to avoid being too predictable and obvious, and in the end, he really makes songs. Maybe we don't like it that much, but "For Nancy ('Cos It Already Is)" is a really nice song. For relaxed moments. Good and honest songwriting without being brilliant. "...'cos it already iiiissssss." In the relaunched version, there are also 4 bonus tracks, including two covers, which are truthfully uninspired: "Dancing in the Dark" by Springsteen and "China Girl" written by Bowie/Iggy Pop. In the American version, the bonus tracks include an acoustic cover of "Panic" by the Smiths. And it's a good thing it wasn't included in the European version, if you get a chance to hear it, you'll understand what we mean...