Perhaps the only
singer/songwriter to make
the Mountain Goats'
John Darnielle look like a careerist,
Super XX Man (aka
Scott Garred, formerly of the Pacific Northwest's late lamented
Silver Scooter) has maintained a similar career path to that of his better-known doppelgänger: a series of creaky,
lo-fi cassettes and vinyl singles at first, adding other instruments and better sound quality from one album to the next.
Garred and
Darnielle even have similar day jobs, as a music therapist and a psychiatric nurse, respectively. (Interestingly, the late
Kevin Coyne, whose often-harrowing 1970s work sounds very much like a precursor to both acts, held both of those jobs himself.) However, as
the Mountain Goats have steadily grown in indie-darling prominence,
Super XX Man has until now stayed comparatively low-key. However, X sounds like
Super XX Man's musical coming-out party.
Garred's tenth album under this project name -- almost all of his albums have Roman numerals for names -- X is a greatest-hits album of sorts, featuring new recordings of songs from previous albums, made with the current full-band lineup co-led by his accordionist wife,
Michelle Garred. The increased prominence of
Michelle's accordion and drummer/flute player
Ali Wesley's angelic harmonies gives X a certain resemblance to
Super XX Man's Portland compatriots
the Decemberists; in fact, the new arrangements point up the extent to which
Garred's boyish vocals sound like
Colin Meloy without the put-on English accent. Primarily, however, X makes a fine case for
Garred as an underrated
pop songsmith, equally capable of utterly charming
twee pop reveries like "Hearts and Stars,"
country-tinged tunes like "Coulee City," and more immediately recognizable
Super XX Man songs like the stark "Garage Apartment." If X appeals to new fans, next try 2003's Vol. VI, Collecting Rocks, a lovely and intimate concept album. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
