Californian Richard Swift makes "lo-fi" pop music that brings to mind everyone from Rufus Wainwright to Bob Dylan to Tom Waits. His Secretly Canadian debut is a double-disc extravaganza of woozy melodies, wall-of-sound arrangements (well executed considering the modest resources he utilizes) and varied stylistic shifts. Disc One is the stronger of the two, beginning with a vaguely Tin Pan Alley instrumental opening and moving into "Last Day," with a Bontempi-ish beat and, once the chorus comes, a Brian Wilson kind of vibe. Much of the music is mid-tempo or slower, which is why by the middle of Disc Two things begin to drag, but for the most part, Swift's unusual pop sensibility is strong enough to pull the listener through to the end of the record. When he's on, he's on, and while a single disc might have been stronger, the double-disc format allows him to explore more of his sound, so a bit of patience will be rewarded.

By James Hayashi-Tennant
Mar 10, 2006