MINI REVIEW: PETE YORN "NIGHTCRAWLER"

Artist: Pete Yorn
Album Title: Nightcrawler
Genre: Rock
2006
Columbia Records

When did I buy it?: I bought it in February of 2007. I found it in the used bin, which was awesome because I was going to buy it for full price.

Why did I buy it?: I had heard some of the songs on it and I thought they were good. When I found out “Ice Age” was on it, that kind of sealed the decision. I wasn’t disappointed, unlike my listen to Pete’s second album Day I Forgot.

What are the best songs?: Most of the songs on this album are good, in my opinion. It’s so hard to choose the best. “Vampyre” starts things off darkly and intensely, with some great echoed vocals. “For Us” and “Undercover” are two great single-worthy songs. “For Us,” in particular, sounds like nothing else in the Pete Yorn catalog. “Undercover” has a killer riff that will get stuck in your head for hours, and Pete’s vocals are just gorgeous.

“The Man” is a country-tinged song with some fine singing by Pete and special guest Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks. Their harmonies really make the song special, and the melody is fine as can be. “Maybe I’m Right” features a very satisfying chorus, made more powerful by some awesome drumming. The choruses on this album are some of Pete’s best yet. “Alive” is one of Pete’s most pop-oriented songs. It’s a piece of sunshine and goes down smooth as water.

“Ice Age” is the most beautiful thing Pete Yorn has ever created. It’s a gentle, tender, soft, romantic rock ballad. Pete’s voice on this song is gorgeous and delicious, allowing him to show his softer side on an album full of rock. I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets played at many proms in the next few years.

Any bad stuff?: Most of the songs on this album are at the very least decent, but I can mention a few low points. “Same Thing” has some good Yorn singing, but not much more than that. It’s slow and fairly un-melodic. “Georgie Boy” is a weird electronic experiment, not a typical Pete song at all. It is capable of being liked, but it just doesn’t seem to fit with the other songs.

“Bandstand In The Sky” is a very poor way to end the album. It’s not a very memorable song. On any other album, it might be considered good, but not compared to stuff like “Undercover” and “Maybe I’m Right.”

Overall thoughts: After Day I Forgot, I was a bit cautious about Pete Yorn’s output. I was very happy to discover that my caution about the third album was unnecessary. In fact, I may go so far as to say this is the best of his albums to date. It’s a lot more balanced than Musicforthemorningafter and keeps that album’s mix of folky sounds and hard rock. The melodies are stronger than ever, and the hooks are actually there.

The best thing about this album is that it’s so hard to decide the best song on it. There are so many highlights that nearly half of the songs are candidates for The Best Song. A good handful of these songs should be on Pete Yorn’s greatest hits, whenever that comes about.

After hearing this album, I’m very excited to hear what Pete Yorn will do next. He’s finished with the “day in music” concept batch of albums, so now he’ll be free to do whatever he feels like doing. If he keeps cranking out albums like Nightcrawler, he could become one of this generation’s best musicians.

Album score: 4 out of 5