Category:
Rock

Try if you like:
American Music Club, Decemberists, Pernice Brothers

•   Settle On Your Name

I managed to get into Sleep Station a couple years ago on their After The War album. It was one of those albums that didn't blow me away but there was charm and skill in the music and delivery, enough to make a lasting impression. So when The Pride of Chester James came in the mail I was quite excited. David Debiak has created yet another great concept album. This one seems to be not quite as clear as some of his past albums but it appears the story of a fictional character named Chester James, a drifter who shows up in a small town, and the subsequent adventures and misfortunes the man goes through.

It seems like it might be a bright album with the bouncy opener "Hello Mr. Caughlin". But the true nature of the album comes on the second track, "Under The Lights". You get a darker sense, like Chester is a bit of a mysterious character indeed. 

Tracks like the lilting "Anna" easily shows you honesty in David's wonderful songwriting. But after much deliberation I have chosen "Fall" as my favorite song on Chester James. Why? The amazingly lush guitar arrangements and the superbly delivered quiet vocals send shivers up my spine each time it comes on. Also the diversity of songs in this adventure is great, while Sleep Station manages to keep them all along the same path.

As all great albums, The Pride of Chester James really gets better the more you listen to it. I'm at about 5 times already and can see me reaching for this album whenever I get stuck in a rut.