The Jambar

Issue date: 2/22/05 Section: ae

One of the CD's strengths is a sense of sincerity present in each of the songs. Butler doesn't sound like John Mayer, mincing his way around a really sappy set of love songs; each song has a unique groove that can't be faked. For example, Butler plays his acoustic so hard he had to put acrylic nails on his hand to save his fingers from being shredded by the strings. You can actually hear this frantic playing in the piece "There'll Come a Time."

That being said, there are some places where the CD could have been improved. I would like to have seen some different Butler songs on the American release of "Sunrise..." The last two, "Oldman" and "Sometimes" are fine by themselves, but pale in comparison to some other Butler songs. "Pickapart," a song that sounds like a throwback to "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Bob Dylan or the trio's trippy cover of "Across the Universe" by the Beatles would have been a better fit for the album.

Butler, with his dreads, songs about the environment and demands that his CD jackets be printed on recycled paper also gives off a serious "dirty hippie" vibe that he should avoid in the future. It doesn't detract from the CD, but it could be an area that the band pigeonholes themselves in later.

But still, I can't wait until I escape somewhere warmer where I'll be able to sit, chill out and listen to these great guitar songs over and over again.

Release Date: March 15.
Sounds Like: O.A.R., Dave Matthews Band.
Coolest Track: "Betterman."

Call Bill Rodgers at (330) 941-3758

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