Jeff Hanson
(Kill Rock Stars)
To repeat a comment frequently made by those who encounter Jeff Hanson for the first time: this dude sounds like a lady. With due credit to Aerosmith, nothing's closer to the truth, and it speaks to Hanson's continuing misfortune that that's all anyone focuses on, at least during an initial encounter.
Hanson's not going to shake that impression this third time out, and one still wonders what spurs his feminine phrasing. However, the loveliness of Hanson's material demands a closer listen, given the nimble folk-finesse imbued in each of these offerings. With strings and the steady strum of an acoustic guitar providing quiet accompaniment, Hanson's voice melds assurance and affirmation to a subdued set of songs. The gentle ramble of "Night," the combination of baroque orchestration and supple ambiance gracing "Your Only Son" and the meditative glance of "Maryann" and "Nothing Would Matter At All" create a salve for the senses. Skeptics can be assured he's not another emasculated emo type prone to a perpetual downward glance - although admittedly, songs like "Wrong Again and "No Never Mind" could argue otherwise -- but rather an artist more prone to optimistic assessment, albeit it with a dewy eyed, heavy lidded gaze.
"I wonder what I can do for a living/Something that makes you all proud/But won't keep me up at night," he muses on "Nothing Would Matter At All." If Madam Owl is any indication, he can doze off and feel reassured.
Standout Tracks: "Night" "The Hills," "Wrong Again" LEE ZIMMERMAN
