David & the Citizens - "Until the Sadness is Gone" (Adrian Recordings)
This is sort of album that works better for me when I have it on shuffle with a bunch of other stuff. I enjoy it much more when I hear it one song at a time, but taken as a whole it kinda bores me. It's not bad, but it feels like something's missing. I think the problem lies in that the backing band is unable to match frontman/songwriter David Fridlund's enthusiasm in the studio. His performance, especially in his vocals, has tons of energy and charm but no one else seems to be feeling it. The playing is solid, but nothing more. Tis a shame, because I feel like this could've been a lot better if they let loose a bit more. On another positive note, there's some really nice arrangements with horns and other instruments.