St. Louis’ Grace Basement is led by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Buckley who has quite a knack for writing concise pop gems. It’s pretty evident from the opening track “There He Goes” that the harmonies and chord minor changes are very infectious, and the addition of fiddle backing is an added bonus. The dance hall influenced melody of “Tilly Lingers” is another catchy gem along the lines of Harry Nilsson and XTC. Unlike the solo approach of the debut album New Sense, Buckley is assisted by guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mike Zapf and drummer Sean Price – it gives the entire album fuller sound. The smart pop sound avoids being too quirky — like Jon Brion or Ben Kweller without the over indulgent dramatics. The urbane arrangements at the albums mid point (like “Why Would I Wait For Another?” and “Warships”) come closer to the latter-era Camper Van Beethoven or Whiskeytown. The mature acoustic guitar on “Highway” is meticulously constructed and “Golden Bell” has a wonderful melody and weary vocal that brings to mind Scott McCaughey (Minus Five) or Ryan Adams. The album ends with the orchestral flourishes of “Land of Endless Change,” a fitting finale of Beach Boys styled vocal harmony, guitar and strings. This LP is a high watermark in the bands development and it’s most definitely worth adding to your pop collection.
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