Everything. Now

On his solo debut, former Edson lead singer Pelle Carlberg doesn't move far from his former band's template: quiet, often percussion-free, and usually acoustic, these 11 songs balance between Nick Drake starkness and twee pop ornamentation. The latter songs, which feature sunshiny trumpets, handclaps, and la-la-la backing vocals, tend to be melodically stronger, but Carlberg seems to prefer the former, judging by the distribution of same throughout this 11-track album. The problem is that Carlberg's pleasant but entirely average voice and nothing-special guitar playing aren't intrinsically interesting enough to sustain the solo acoustic tunes. This is particularly frustrating since full-band songs like "Bastards Don't Blush," "A Tasteless Offer," and "How I Broke My Foot and Met Jesus" also feature the sharpest lyrics on the album, much more incisive and clever than most of the comparatively earnest solo tunes. An entire album's worth of full-band material, along with perhaps a solo acoustic EP for fans, might have been more entertaining. ~ Stewart Mason|