If Elliott Smith had grown up a happy go lucky beach bum instead of a strung out bar junkie, if Evan Dando had spent a summer surfing with the devil in return for remaining eternally 23, if The Apples In Stereo had snared that Levi’s Jeans ad in 1998 instead of The Lilys…well, there’d be no need to invent Brendan Benson. As it is, Brendan, cruising out of Detroit with a glint in his eye and his best mate Jack White singing his praises, is here to let a little sunshine into your life. His album ‘Lapalco’ is a McCartney-worshipping treat with its eye on Elliott Smith’s mighty ‘XO’, but first there’s this simple paean to his trusty second hand car and the freedom of being a humble singer-songwriter. Sublime.
Ian Watson
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