2005-10-20 - 12:47 p.m. Richard Hawley's latest album isn't too different from his previous offerings, but that's fine with me. The former Pulp guitarist has become a swoony-crooner for our times, his songs so unapologetically sweeping and lush and romantic, his voice a deep sigh. He also attempts some folk-ish numbers that, given his deep, showy vocals, sound like the ghost of Phil Ochs. And then there's that other baritoney feller, Mark Eitzel, whose latest is quite the trippy headphone album, a bit of a gloomfest, but no less amusing and moving than his more straightforward pop stuff. And speakin' of gloom, Depeche Mode still know how to dish it out, always maintaining that balance between stridency and catchiness. Their new one will make you jump around...then you will want to yell tearfully at your parents through a locked bedroom door, but you can't because you are really, really old now. thoughts? (2 comments so far) previous - next blog archive contact