Mermaid Avenue

nerds Reviews

Author

1001-albums-a-day

Woody Guthrie is an interesting artist. He's certainly talented, but in my experience his melodies are lackluster, and his children's songs don't do anything for me. His biggest strength has always been his lyrics, so when Billy Bragg (never heard of him) and Wilco (heard of them, but never heard anything by them) set these quality lyrics to quality music, the outcome is a very solid collection of indie folk/alt country songs. Favorite Tracks: "Walt Whitman's Niece", "California Stars", "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key", Birds and Ships", "One By One"

3

Author

thejetplane

An easily digestible mix of alt-country and Americana that does a good job of showcasing the blend's most charming qualities. The folk-tinged song structures and solid vocal performances also help broaden the sound's appeal. While not every track stands out in a unique way, Mermaid Avenue is a great record, even for non-country fans like myself. BEST TRACKS: California Stars, Hoodoo Voodoo, I Guess I Planted WORST TRACKS: Walt Whitman's Niece

4