Chrisopher Blue :: "Room Tones" :: Sarathan Records

With an unpolished, raspy voice along the lines of Morphine's Mark Sandman, Blue breezes through thirteen songs mostly revolving around love and unlove.   The album has got varied smokey pub instrumentation, wails of feeling and ache, and lowdown cool vibes.  "Ghost in the Night" is probably the stand out track due to its catchy rhythm that represents the bluesy style Blue is aiming for.  It's not a unique breakthrough kind of record, but for a guy who nearly gave up music altogether, it's a solid effort some might find intriguing.
 

Mooney Suzuki :: "Have Mercy" :: Elixia Records

A band that has a very recognizable name through a decade-long history and a strong word of mouth, it's quite a letdown when their new disc lays out a lot more skips than listens. The opener of "99%" can't resist dealing the listener everything that the Mooney Suzuki can come up with in five minutes, which is upbeat, singalong rock'n'roll that your parents would like.  "Ashes" even utilizes a line from "Ring Around the Rosy" in the chorus that promptly gets beaten to death.  However, the tune that absolutely saves this middle of the road record is "First Comes Love," which not only stitches together a blue collar sort of love story, but also provides the catchy hooks that don't seem forcibly cutesy.  Not a great disc but it has a few moments.
 

Goldrush :: "The Heart is the Place" :: Better Looking Records 

The honeyed vocals of Robin Bennett are bound to immediately win over the cushy ears of collegiates and young professionals everywhere, and the music of Goldrush certainly makes it a point to get the listener to swoon in fuzzy ecstasy.  Most of the tunes are comforting pop that will likely appeal to most in a reclined position, with "Aperture" and "The Story of the City" opening the record with a stirring build up and coast.  Most of the album follows the guidelines of the beginning tracks without too much variation.  However, "Sun in Your Eyes" is the jawbreaker in the candy bowl with it's jarring infusion of raw guitar, squealing horns and a distant clip that sounds like it came from a sixties Egyptian movie made in America.   Even Bennett takes a step off stage as the clamor ensues and fades out gracefully.  The tune shakes up the album nicely without sounding too forced for the sake of creative impact.  Along with the pleasant, soft rock jangle of "Yours and Mine," this album proves to be a pretty good listen.