Solid Pop Songs, Brilliant Craftsmanship, A True Gem, December 23, 2002
By
Karl J. Valentine (Seattle, WA)
I have been a fan of Eric's from back in the day. He's a Philly icon, and for those who don't know his history, I'll just say the album is as solid as Duncan Sheik's latest or even Coldplay, so give it a chance--it's worth the thirteen bucks. Eric is a true iconoclast. An Ivy League-educated physics major, who turned his back on a career in medicine to pick up the guitar and delve into the quantum mechanics of songwriting. What makes him really unique is that he absorbed the underground Irish scene at Penn (WXPN used to be a major beacon of Irish folk music...back in the day), and he infused his budding career as a rock musician, not only with the obligatory power chord guitar sounds, but with the soft and sinuous Irish strings and melodies as well (his partner in the Hooters, Rob Hyman, followed suit). At the core, Eric is deeply methodical, and cut very much out of the Lennon/McCartney cloth, but his lyrics tend to venture more into the sardonic. Here's the thing...Eric may be unknown to most in the pop world (outside of people knowing his big hit, One of Us), but he's very accessible for all his eccentricities. Don't be fooled by the fact that this album is a hybrid of basement demo tapes, because these songs smoke most contemporary studio albums. Because he's gifted at his craft (including the art of recording, some of which he did on his Macintosh laptop in a barn in Sweden), and can spin a pop lyric with the best of them, Eric has created a work that is highly personal, while comfortably familiar. But if you want to hear Eric open up and reveal himself [down to the core], simply go straight to track # 10. The song, Hopelessly, Relentlessly includes a guitar solo gives me chills, and when his voice cracks, I know he's spilling out his heart with abandon, and has the skill to cut us to the quick. For that reason alone, this album will enjoy a long shelf life.
To summarize: Former rock star who feels he has nothing much to lose, throws caution to the wind, and has the talent and the chutzpa to pull one out that would make a young virtuoso like John Mayer nod his head and say, "Oh, yeah." The album is really a gift to the pop canon. Eric didn't do this for the money or for vanity; he did it because he could. He did it because he's a master at his craft, and because he has the ability to do what very few musicians dream of aspiring to achieve--write great pop music. The more you listen to this album, or any of his previous works, the more you understand the physics of it all. Eric is on a journey to explore the nano particles of music; he's constantly evolving, consistently honing his craft (both as a musician and songwriter), and digging as deep as he can to keep the spirit alive. You have to hand it to him. He could rest on his laurels, kick back and hang up his spurs like most of his contemporaries, but curiously enough, he still has a burning desire to keep plumbing the depths. I personally am grateful for his willingness to stay in the game--fame or not, he deserves credit for making the effort, and sharing his gift. If only other musicians who've reached his level of success would have the courage to continue plying their craft. But then again, Eric is not your average rock star. He's a man on a mission, and he's taking us along for the ride. Do a little research on him, consider what he's achieved, then go ahead and buy this album. Don't thank me, thank Eric.
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