With the rest of the blogosphere paying attention to an entirely different cute openly gay singer-songwriter, Chris Garneau must have a serious inferiority complex right now. Okay, so he probably doesn't care about that kind of stuff, but that doesn't mean you should ignore his latest album El Radio.
Aside from being the poster child for typical Brooklyn hotness, Garneau churns out some incredibly beautiful tunes. While his themes and accompaniment are often heavy, his lyrics and song titles occasionally lean towards the silly side, adding a much needed quirky touch.
On the other hand, such inside-references can make the songs less relatable. The melodramatic tone of the album's opening track "The Leaving Song" is toned down by the presence of the line, "I have made a rocket and I made it for you." A lot of us can relate to someone leaving our lives, yet I'm pretty sure we didn't all make rockets for them.
In the end, the general enjoyability of Garneau's arrangements leads to these lyrical issues becoming secondary to other problems, such as the general timing of this release. These songs are made for sitting under the covers by a fireplace, sipping red wine or a glass of hot cocoa. But hey… if it keeps raining in our parts, now might be a good time for a little indoor music. So snuggle up with the nearest indie boy and check out his rocket!
– Dewitt
Photo credit: Raphaël Neal
I loved his first album and I have to get this one! He is an amazing singer!!!