My Analog Face

The Furious Seasons my analog face (Stonegarden) Steady David Steinhart remains a meticulous model of constancy. This is his 19th album you've probably never heard over three decades, unless you've closely followed L.A.'s pop scene, dating to previous bands Pop Art (with brothers Richard and Jeff; the latter has returned on bass for Furious Seasons' now three LPs-a fourth Steinhart, Nathan, also guitars here!) and Smart Brown Handbag. David writes and sings warm, literate, sober, preoccupied folk pop, always well-crafted, and full of small, conspicuous, workmanlike extras (pacific strings, mellotron, piano, guitar tweets, a southern blues harmonica), and an aptitude for unpretentious, poppy hooks that's never deserted him these many years. Some of Face like On the Wire and 'History Repeats has a morning-after Blonde on Blonde Bob Dylan see-ya-leaving-babe vibe; others like We Go Down or Hey Jon are like Nilsson covering Fred Neil or light Long Ryders. Were this group going circa 1971, David Geffen or Jac Holzman might've signed them. Nevertheless, talented gents like this keep making golden-hued, exquisite albums; they know they'll make their mark with whoever finds them. (thefuriousseasons.com)