Anyway, I have come to sing the praises of your wonderful album (again). Bottom line: I LOVE your record. Whoever called Pointed At The Sky "easily the greatest thing ever released by an unsigned band" hit the nail right on the head. Pointed At The Sky is one of the most musically literate, cohesive, and FUN albums that I have heard in the last 5 years or so, by any band -- signed or unsigned. What makes it stand out above the rest is Matthew's expert songwriting, the band's sharp musicianship, impeccable arrangements, clean production, an uncannily keen awareness of everything that is good about pop music, and most importantly, the ability to use the knowledge of these kinds of subtleties to make great music even greater. And also, it totally rocks! It seems to me that a lot of bands in the mainstream are forced to homogenize their sound in order to fit in with watered-down radio formats, and so they completely gloss over the kind of subleties that you can hear in abundance on Pointed At The Sky. Even when they do write a song with some depth to it, it often feels affected, even forced, as if the idea has been filtered through a dozen different producers and focus groups before making it to tape. And many of the bands on the indie scene simply lack the songwriting chops to take their music to the next level, and try to draw attention away from this deficiency by emphasizing sheer weirdness (which indie snobs will undoubtedly think is "cool" and "clever"). Conversely, everything on Pointed At The Sky feels completely organic and honest. Let me elaborate: Pointed At The Sky is a record of not only great songs, but also many great moments. Brilliant moments, in fact. Like, for instance, the beginning of "Trying All I Can," where Matthew sings the first verse alone with simple accompaniment, and then is joined in the next verse by Megan singing harmony and a crisp, staccato rhythm guitar that slices through the mix like a dagger. Perfect. Or take a look at the cool 12-string guitar solo in "Now's The Time," that seemingly comes out of nowhere, but nevertheless adds an element of '60s Byrds-style jangle. Or how the opening chords of "Stark Silver Ring" instantly communicate the intimacy and self-doubt expressed in the lyrics. What about how the overlapping guitars in the solo to "I Blamed It On My Manhood" suddenly dissolve into a gorgeous choir of E-Bow feedback. Or check out how the irresistible synth line in "The Man You Broke" spins around in your head relentlessly like a buzzing bee. I dare you to listen to the tenderness and vulnerability of "When We Get Too Old" and not be deeply moved. Bust out your Bootsy Collins outfit and shake your booty to the all-out (garden?) party that is "You've Got My Money." Then put on some tight leather pants, join in the funk-fest, and try to match Matthew's falsetto whoops. Then you can finish things off by having a little chit-chat with R2D2. Crank up "Jumping Ship" and work on your all-important hand-clapping technique as you are enveloped in three-part harmonies that would make Alex Chilton and Chris Bell jealous (you know, if Chris Bell were still alive). Or you could try frollicking among the elves and fairies as you get lost in the beautiful flute intro to "Games Children Play." Or just wait until the end, gather up all your closest monk buddies, and join in on the Gregorian chanting as you ponder the meaning of death. Lay back in the sun and drink a few cocktails out of coconut shells with George Harrison and Brian May as you listen to the ukelele-jingle that is "Cut Your Hair." I could go on and on... I think my favorite moment on the album, though, comes in the middle of "Rock And Roll Star," when Matthew hits that soaring, goose bump-inducing melody as he sings "Like I did when/I was younger/I'm too young to be so old/All pent up and cold." Or you can just admire the way that big, intimidating subjects like love, angst, self-doubt, aging, and death are tackled in a totally elegant and unpretentious way -- all while never sacrificing one iota of the catchiness and breezy fun of a great pop/rock record. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give you guys is that on every song on Pointed At The Sky, the music and lyrics sound exactly like the emotion being expressed. And that ain't easy to do. So congrats, and give yourself a pat on the back. This album is a great accomplishment that I hope will soon get the recognition it deserves.

The Garden Party is an indie-pop band from the Detroit region that not only contains my good friend Tim Rimer (he's the keyboardist), but whose second album, Pointed At the Sky, is a solid and enjoyable Happy Meal of gimmick-free pop. Matthew Brown is the frontman, and although his songwriting and singing are informed by the easy-to-digest melodicism of the British Invasion, his songs aren't the sort of retro throwbacks that are all over the place right now. Basically, there's a lot of joy to be had here, and if you're a fan of the seamless, mature pop of Ben Folds, Guster's few non-crappy songs, or the Barenaked Ladies' early stuff, there's no reason not to pick this up.