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Linus Of Hollywood - Triangle
Franklin Castle
Though soft pop is just about non-existant these
days (and don't tell me about Sufjan - I've heard that stuff and
I don't feel like Sufjerring through any of that crap if I can
help it) Linus of Hollywood has decided to show the world how
pleasing and catchy soft pop can be if done right. On this, his
third album, Linus seems to have perfected his style. Harking
back to a time when the AM radio was king, Linus manages to
distill what was great about bands like Seals and Crofts, Bread,
Gilbert O' Sullivan, and Edison Lighthouse, and combining those
textures with a more modern sound and approach to recording to
create a new version of soft rock that actually does...uh, rock.
A multi-instrumentalist, Linus plays most of the
instruments here as well as handling the production chores for
the album. While a lot of total one-man-band type projects
usually end up with the artist disappearing up his own ass,
Linus is the rare case where doing every thing himself actually
adds to his music instead of stifling it. Having a singular
vision of what he wants only helps in this case as he is
probably one of the few who can pull off the intricate
instrumental passages and, since he has always loved this kind
of orchestrated pop, can put all his effort into making the
songs sound great as he doesn't doubt what he is doing because
it doesn't "rock" enough or something. Like a bluesman who plays
intense blues because it's all he knows, Linus' soft-pop tunnel
vision doesn't register a song as too wimpy or soft, just
whether it sounds as great as it should or if it needs more
work. Thanksfully, not much here can be improved upon as it is
as wonderful collection of soft pop as I have ever heard.
Fans of soft rock, like the acts mentioned above
and similar bands like The Free Design, will love this CD as
will fans of bands like The Nines and Jellyfish. It's not going
to be something you throw on at a party but it may be something
to play during one of those lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoons
after the party is over and you're trying to recover.
Breathtaking soundscapes guaranteed to cure whatever ails you
just fill this record. A truly great disc. - Scott Homewood
www.linusofhollywood.com
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