Album Notes

review written by Jason Holloway
appeared in Dissolver Magazine Issue #14
(http://www.dissolvermagazine.com)

Shawn Fogel's third solo CD, Millions of Miles Away, really IS what you'd call a solo CD: he sings every line and plays every single instrument on the album—horns, drums, and banjo included. I suppose the best compliment to his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist is that I had no idea it was just him!

Indeed, Millions of Miles Away is a fun collection of well-played songs that exhibits plenty of variety throughout, the way an album should. The quick, mod intro "Maybe Tonight" and ensuing title track mix a nice sense of low-fi production into their catchy hooks— like a Britpop band playing in a garage. "Oh Yeah (How I Miss You)" belies at least some level of influence from Matthew Sweet, and "I'd Be Lyin'," a fun song with a Johnny Cash style strumbeat, is probably my favorite on the album.

Like a good album, though, MoMA ... doesn't fade toward the end. "Everyone's Got Me Down" has a nice, slowpolk country feel, with a welcome burst of horns in the chorus and a good bridge. I liked "Days Go By" right away as well, and Fogel's voice sounds its best here.

"Maybe Tonight Reprise" makes for a decent ending (I particularly like how he goes up an octave midway through), but it's again a little heavy-handed with the distortion effects. Taken altogether though, Millions of Miles Away is an enjoyable record, and its highlights are indicative of even better things to come from Shawn Fogel.