Sure, this is standard-issue jangly American guitar pop, but the world could use more standard-issue jangly American guitar pop, especially when the melodies are this strong and the lyric writing this assured. While it's clear that nothing on this album is meant to change the face of modern... [+] Expand

Sure, this is standard-issue jangly American guitar pop, but the world could use more standard-issue jangly American guitar pop, especially when the melodies are this strong and the lyric writing this assured. While it's clear that nothing on this album is meant to change the face of modern music, this disc is still a solid contribution to an honorable rock & roll tradition. Sometimes the Kennedys' allegiance to that tradition is explicit, as on "Month of Hours," which is presented as a Byrds tribute and features the requisite haunting melody and chiming Rickenbackers. Their cover of "Wall of Death," a classic Richard & Linda Thompson number, is a gutsy move and one they pull off admirably; hats off to Pete Kennedy for daring to take a guitar solo on a Thompson tune, and for having the wisdom not to try to outgun him. Lyrically, they need to beware of overindulgence: "jangle poets," "jangle dreamers," "gospel horses," "pilgrim travelers," and a "midnight bridge" all show up in one stanza of the title track, and "Chelsea Embankment" comes off as an excuse for Anglophilic name-dropping. But when they keep it simple, the result can be magical: "Here in my heart/I've built a mansion for you," Maura sings on "Day In and Day Out," and that unadorned image is perfect in its evocation of doomed young love. This is an album filled with such beautiful moments from a duo that will bear close watching in the future. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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