Art-Chanteuse Shara Worden calls this fifth studio album under the MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND moniker a "back to basics" exploration of music: what it is, what it means, what it does for us as a cultural tool, how we as humans wield it. Ideas for this project were formed while Worden was performing in "River of Fundament," the cine-opera performance piece by professional art-weirdo MATTHEW BARNEY, and there is a primal feel to this album that reflects his influence. Worden seems to turn her back on her earlier chamber- pop stylings, here weaving her operatically trained voice among marching band drum-lines, throbbing base & dance-worthy tracks, evoking THE KNIFE style dance pop or SUFJAN STEVENS'knack for deeply layered song-craft. "This Is My Hand" is a gorgeous, multifaceted gem of an album! Highly Recommended!

this debut release from Chicago's power pop quartet is somehow the incarnation of Cheap Trick, Shoes, the Scruffs and about six or seven other various bands that you like and get excited about whenever that one song comes on and you can never remember who it is. That's what's so good about this album: unlike other and more "signed" bands that are trying to do the same thing in Chicago, PAP sound like they're using their own songs and own history and own brains to bring us music that familiarizes and pops out like that song by the band you can't remember. You will swear that you asked out your middle school sweetheart while any one of these songs was playing. And if you're in middle school now, you'll be inspired to do so immediately. So yes, it is good, better than most and worth the cheap cost. A+pproved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's an indispensable new collection for fans: early home recordings (made in 1965-66) of just GRAM singing folk & country standards, a handful of originals & some other treats (a nice blues cover in "Candy Man").