Micah P. Hinson And The Gospel Of Progress

Every so often an artist will release a debut record that has seemingly come from nowhere; you question where this person has been all your life, and how come it took so long for this to get out.

The album... is one of such remarkable beauty. [Oct 2004, p.96]

Hinson sings with the heart-stopping world-weariness of a man at least twice his meagre 22 years, often with only the most delicate accompaniment.

An ambitious but striking debut. [Sep 2004, p.108]

Hinson's meditations on sorrow, regreat and hope are wrapped in textures upon textures of multi-instrumental feeling. [#9]

Musically, this debut is lovingly and exactingly orchestrated with an array of instruments-- not just the usual piano, cello, and drums, but also flute, organ, melodica, and horns-- that subtly shade the songs' emotions. Strangely, however, Hinson entertains few possibilities and seems to rely too heavily on his acoustic guitar to shape the tracks.

If you were a bit let down by the last Bright Eyes album (as I was), this is a release that should get you excited again.