If music (the art form) had to marketed, its slogan would be “the soundtrack to our lives.†It forms memories, and shapes experiences (Cam’ron’s Horse and Carriage is indelibly linked with my throwing parties in college.) Of course how we perceive music is also linked to our emotional state. I just got my heart broken, as a result Pete Yorn’s latest release Day I Forgot is extremely resonant with me.
Yorn is a masterful songwriter. Like Amiee Mann, Yorn has the ability to make you awe at his simplicity. He is also adept at writing about relationships, albeit flawed relationships. His debut two years ago musicforthemorningafter was a somber affair. Fortunately his songs this time around are more upbeat musically. Unfortunately the relationships still have flaws.
The album opens with a beautiful acoustic intro. Coming in at under fifty seconds its tone is reminiscent of I Was Wrong from Badly Drawn Boy’s latest album. The intro is a confession and a haunting one at that. Come Back Home, the lead single, follows and sets the mood for the album. Crystal Village is a nice song about a guy and a girl who have grown apart.
Carlos (Don’t Let It Go To Your Head) is by far the worst song on the album. It begins with a guitar riff that sounds like Yorn imitating a Lenny Kravitz who is trying to prove that he is still rock and roll. Yorn played all the instruments on the track and perhaps bit off more than he could chew.
Pass Me By is a cool song, but Commited is better. It showcases the trials of friendship in a refreshing way. It’s real. When You See The Light offers some advise on regret and being forgiven. Burrito suggests that if you live for the moment “it could last you forever.†Man in Uniform is a forgettable song and So Much Work closes out the album on a melodically melancholy note.
The true stand out tracks are Long Way Down, Turn of the Century, and All at Once. Long Way Down is about a guy who doesn’t want to admit to being in love, and strikes a chord with me. Turn of the Century shows how a lack of ganas causes a man to ponder possibilities about the one he desires. All at Once is a song about confessions.
Musically Yorn offers nothing new, but that isn’t bad because there was nothing wrong with his formula to begin with. He doesn’t sound overproduced like many albums that come out do. This fits perfectly with his unshaven unkempt image. His voice is full of emotion even if it only ranges from longing to regret to sadness. But again jubilation doesn’t fit with his sensitive rock guy image.
