Dear John Letters Stories Of Our Lives CD

Too jittery for emo and too quirky for pop, Seattle's Dear John Letters combine a variety of genres into their difficult-to-classify sound. Although the band works well together and producer/guitarist/engineer Johnny Sangster (Mudhoney, the Posies) certainly had substantial input, this is pretty much Robb Benson's baby. It's his keening voice, often stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and overall vision that make -- or break -- the group's third release. Tightening up their attack and re-recording a handful of songs from their sophomore effort, Unbroken ("Disappointed," "My Volcano," "Sorry to Sorry," "We Could Be Angels"), this is certainly their most focused and cohesive album. Taking lyrics from a variety of sources, including old girlfriends' poetry (hence the band's name), Benson spits and talk-sings songs in a cracked, wobbly, trembling voice, somewhere between the Kinks' Ray Davies, Ian Hunter, and Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook. Benson's much-noted McCartney-isms have taken a back seat to his minor-key side, which drives vaguely pop tunes like the dark "I Still Scar," an emotionally overwrought song as intense as its title where Benson plays all the instruments, including drums and piano. Thankfully, the open-wound agony of that tune is offset by the generally upbeat music of "The Drowning," whose peppy beat and hooky chorus mask downbeat lyrics such as, "Don't fight the drowning/The struggle makes it worse." "My head is my worst enemy," writes Benson in "Disappointed," and there's plenty of proof of that here. But for those who can feel his pain, Stories of Our Lives is a minor masterpiece. At 14 tracks and just under 50 minutes, Benson proves he's one of his generation's most talented, if depressed, pop voices. ~ Hal Horowitz

Dear John letters frontman Robb Benson plays live:July 9thuncommon ground www.uncommonground.com chicago, il Dear John Letters Plays first live show in 8 months:July 29th, 21+the crocodile cafe (Seattle) w/Radio Nationals*benefit for driving votes*Then:July 30th, 21+Robb Benson CD release partythe sunset tavern (seattle) with: Scott McCoughey (of REM, YYF, minus 5) Sean Nelson (of harvey danger, long winters)also Dear john letters, & other guests!*EARLY SHOW 7pm to 9:30PM****************Throughout the history of poetry, the inspiration for writing poems has been found in the most innocuous of places. Jack Kerouac heard jazz verses in the gears of the trains that rolled through America while Walt Whitman heard his name being passed through the leaves of the trees. For Seattle's DEAR JOHN LETTERS' singer/songwriter Robb Benson, he senses poems that seem to originate from the internal world, and inherently compliments the form within his song craft. "For me it's like a channel, he says, "I just let them flow through me. I enjoy it when words have rhythm or if they just sound great together no matter what the meaning is behind them. There is a song in every good batch of words."On Stories of Our Lives, DEAR JOHN LETTERS' third album and first national release, Benson has definitely chosen the right path. Along with guitarist and noted producer/engineer Johnny Sangster (Mudhoney, The Posies), bassist Richard Davidson and drummer Cassady Laton, the band has recorded a luminous fourteen-song album of stunning pop gems and introspective, tender ballads. From the irresistible "Sorry To Sorry" to the breathless, wailing pop of "My Volcano," to the surging title track, "Stories of Our Lives" is a rousing and dazzling collection.On all of the songs on Stories of Our Lives - whether it's the propulsive and catchy "Bipolar" ("Though it's about you / You'll hear this song / And you will sing along") or the lilting Lennon-esque "Disappointed," Benson's voice stretches the imagination - it can glide around corners, creating new flexibility for syllables. The explosive pop of "My Volcano" summons The Beatles' "Back In The U.S.S.R," and boasts all of the devilish double entendre' of Oscar Wilde ("I showed her part oCMJ (8/4/03, p.7) - "...A smart and playful work, STORIES takes its time tossing back swigs of Beatles-esque choruses, thoughtful lyrics and sharp musicianship..."