Pete Yorn - Pete Yorn (2010)
Say what you will about Pete Yorn, but he's been putting out dependable folk-rock for the last decade. And even if some albums were better than others, at least he's amassed a handsome discography to go along with his rugged good Jesus-like looks. In 2009 alone he had twin releases (Back and Fourth and Break Up, the latter of which was with Scarlett Johansson), and barely a year later he has another! It would be easy to assume that this prolific period means a diluted pallet for Petey, but this is far from the case, as his eponymous self-titled fifth release is as vibrant a record as when he debuted ten years ago.
Like most acts that still mine the folk-rock scene, Yorn's musical style hasn't varied too much throughout his career; however, each release does bring its own twist to the table. With Pete Yorn (2010), the twist is a raw edge to the music previously unheard on any previous albums, and that makes for a relatively surprising listen considering his last two albums were more along the lines of acoustic pop. It's not to say that Yorn is now embracing punk, far from it, but he does rock a little harder this time. The guitars fuzz, the drums rollick, and the vocals don't always stay in tune, but that's fine because the music as a whole embraces a pleasurable amount of grit (thanks in part to the raw production of the Pixies' Frank Black/Black Francis). Such is the case with the excellent rockers "Precious Stone" and "Paradise Cove 1." But that doesn't mean that Yorn has lost his sensitive side, "Stronger Than" is one of his better tender moments, with it's earnestness only amplified by the raw production.
All in all, Pete Yorn just sort of works and is a rocking addition to Yorn's fairly sizable catalog. And while it's difficult to beat his seminal musicforthemorningafter (2001), Yorn has certainly left his first decade on a high note.
McS
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