Waters Ave. S.

Seattle native Damien Jurado's first album is an impressive debut that was sadly overlooked by many people still caught up in the hype of the celebrated Sub Pop Records and the aftermath left from the grunge era. While Jurado is responsible for writing hundreds of songs on his own, he chose 13 to make the cut for this album. Many are silly, dealing with topics such as purple anteaters or the circus. Others cry out as therapy for Jurado, trying to reconcile his parent's painful divorce or the feeling of being independent from a recent relationship. Still others are just fictional stories, woven by this man who is known in certain indie folk circles as a master storyteller. Taking jangly guitars and Jurado's awkward, yet soothing crooning, along with steady drumming and a host of other instruments, Waters Ave S. is silky smooth in its delivery and rarely comes up short. While not entirely similar to his later works, on its own, Waters Ave S. is a special treat that deserves a listen. ~ Kurt Morris