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Album Details

• Artist: Brendan Benson
• Album: Alternative To Love
• Label: V2
• Year of Release: 2005
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2005-06-02

Poor Brendan Benson, he has earned the respect of ever rock critic on the earth and yet he can hardly sell an album. What the hell? Benson writes some of the catchiest power-pop to ever grace your stereo. Tracks like this album's "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)" are just begging to be played on radio if not on your favorite drama show on primetime. Alternative To Love might be strong enough to break into the mainstream but I fear that his fate is sealed with V2. Doesn't appear that they really are supporting him again with this awesome album. Now, is it the fact that this is one of the best albums to come out this year or is it that power-pop bands always seem to suffer ill fate on our North American shores. Bands like Superdrag and the Figgs, two of my lifetime's best power-pop bands, never made the bigtime despite their stints on major labels. Now Alternative To Love has a little more mainstream sensibilities than those aforementioned bands so time will tell if a track like the instantly like-able "Get It Together" can make or break this album. The album opens with the immediate pop style of "Spit It Out" that follows a tried and true formula. The closing track, "Between Us" is the weakest of the 12 songs but by that time Benson has completely sold his album to us. Brendan has succeeded in creating a very diverse album and one of his most complete ones at the same time.

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