Great For a Sunrise or Sunset
Langdon Alger | West Alexander, PA United States | 10/12/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"First off, this is not just a Yo La Tengo album under a different name, this is something altogether different. Sure, there are little hints of the revered trio that McNew has become a part of, but this album stands in stark contrast to the Yo La Tengo album of 2003, Summer Sun. Where Summer Sun is a clean, polished, and very mellow album, about a third of the songs on "A Grown Ass Man" are all out rockers. There aren't slick production values on this album, but the talent McNew displays is pretty slick, as he shows aptitude with several different instruments and the rough edges of this lo fi recording serve to reinforce the honesty of McNew's talent.And these lo fi recordings aren't simplistic either, a few exceed five minutes in length and play with song structures and textures. The songs display a variety of moods from exuberance to introspection. Song highlights include the extended jam of "Daily Affirmation" and the transformational "Cowboy Song," the peppy almost-cliched drumbeat of "The History of Love," and the somewhat subdued "Sisters."About the only negative I can say is that the drum machines don't fit in with all the tracks in my opinion, and the song "Mr. Too Damn Good" seems a little out of place, as McNew does a kind of Steely Dan/Elvis Costello sendup. But heck, I'd recommend this album to anyone in a heartbeat."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1