Shane Fontayne played guitar for a short while in Bruce Springsteen’s band and he’s also been involved with artists like Paul Simon, Marc Cohn, Steve Forbert, Shania Twain, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Mick Taylor and John Waite among others over the years. That's his hall of fame, but my "relationship" with him started with his band Merchants Of Venus back in 1990, which I enjoyed a lot and with his great production of Joy Askews "Tender City" album... Anyway...

This album starts out with “Weight Of The World” which could have been on Shawn Mullins latest album, and continues with “Little Napoleons” which is a damn good powerpop-esque song with a Midwest edge. I love that tune. It’s like if John Lennon would have been a member of Crosby Stills And Nash, but all done in a more modern production. Very cool. And in that way it continues. Third out “Cut From The Same Cloth” smells the artist Gus all over and well - I could go on like this forever cause the album is a really great moment in modern pop, and I personally love these clever hybrids betweens styles of music. I must mention “Serenade” which is the missing link between jazzpop like Norah Jones mixed with Bleu and John Mayer. Damn cool is what it is. Well I must also mention track number eight “Bubble & Squeak”. That is like if Peter Gabriel, Joseph Arthur and Kevin Gilbert was in the studio jamming. And track nine “It’s Only Love” smells PFR and Crowded House all over!

This album will sure be high up on the Top30 of 2003 when we sum up the year in December. Awesome CD. Buy it today folks.

~ Par Winberg, Melodic.net