Bosque Brown
Baby
Fargo / Burnt Toast
2
3 March 2009
The first listen is rewarding. Bosque Brown sounds like Cat Power doing acoustic alt-country; production is lo-fi with all the errors intact; songs vary in length so the forty minutes pass by quite quickly.
Unfortunately, the first listen is where it’s at. Subsequent plays reveal all the flaws and shortcomings. The three short ‘On and Off’ tracks are the first to be skipped, becoming increasingly annoying with each appearance. The album as a whole doesn’t survive a good hammering and Mara Lee Miller’s gothic horror voice starts to grate after a while.
This is not to say the music isn’t charming in its minimal simplicity, or that Mara Lee Miller isn’t talented. Album opener, White Dove, and So Loud shine. What’s wrong is the album is unfocused and directionless. Some sharp and ruthless editing would make for better listening.
It’s an album you want to like but lets you down.
for JunkMedia.org
