Jay Bennett "Bigger than Blue"

It didn't stop him for long, though. He started work on his next project with Edward Burch, an ambitious (and so far incomplete) three-album series called The Palace At 4 AM (Part 1). His ambitions haven't stopped there, either; Bigger than Blue is supposedly his first solo album of three this year as well. It's good to know that Bennett hasn't allowed the setback of being forced into this role of being a rejected musician in another band's success story hold him back. If what I've heard so far of Wilco's new record is any indication, then Bennett's role in Wilco and the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was much larger than anyone will admit.

Bigger Than Blue could be divided into two distinctive sides. Side one, consisting of the first five songs, are much more traditional songs, similar in style to his previous work with Edward Burch. These songs are pretty, mellow and a little sad; all of them highlight Bennett's deep, smoky croon, though on "Charming and Plastic" he sounds like a country version of Elvis Costello. Of course, on "Let's Count our Losses," Bennett wins my heart by use of some really fine slide guitar, and these songs are very fine singer-songwriter fare. Together, these first five songs are nice, but they just don't feel right collected together--something feels off about them.

The second half is a lot more diverse, but it's also quite problematic. There's not one singular style to describe these songs, as they range from classic rock ("It's Hard") to experimental rock ("Reasons For You To Love Me (Cars Get Crushed)") to jazz ("Songs That Weren't Finished") to twangy country ("Outside Looking In") and moody, atmospheric folk-rock. It's a bit of a shock, really, because the first half of the album didn't stray at all from its set style. It's not that these songs are bad; they're just different. The only low moment, "Reasons For You To Love Me (Cars Get Crushed)," is a song that stops and starts and skips and at first I wasn't sure that it was a defect on the disc, but it's the song that raises the most curiosity, because it contains "lyrical contributions by Jeff Tweedy."

Dividing these styles creates an uneven feel, which might make you prone to listen to one 'side' or the other. Perhaps this was his intention, to create these distinctive album sides. I don't know if this is the case, but this is but a minor quibble. Bennett's a major talent, and though the album feels a bit off, it doesn't take away from the fact that he can write a great song, and Bigger than Blue is a collection of great Jay Bennett songs. This is the first of three solo albums this year, and despite this album's flaw, I'm still eagerly awaiting his next album.

--Joseph Kyle

Artist Website: http://www.jay-bennett.com
Label Website: http://www.undertowmusic.com