Pat Buchanan:  Press >  Miles of Music, December 2002



 

Pat Buchanan

Nashville based Buchanan has passed his time dutifully playing guitar for an admirable host of other great talent.   The shortlist includes Bruce Robison, Amy Rigby, Swan Dive, Jim Lauderdale, Rodney Crowell and a variety of the top names in the biz;  Hill, LeDoux, Cyrus, McGraw and Tritt.    So he has the chops, but boy can he write a song too. 

For all of his leaning toward country, this fantastic solo outing is more in line with the pop genius of his former band Idle Jets, although not leaning so heavily on the power-pop guitar action.

Great melodies with Beatle-esque flourishes, incorporating rootsy elements, run throughout.   "Smile On My Face" is quite reminiscent of Jules Shear and utilizes the mandolin effectively against the Moog synth.   Chris Carmichael, who has provided amazing string arrangements to records from Swan Dive, Swag and Allison Moorer, casts a somber and haunting mood over the languid "Glass".   Other tracks have the dynamic and flair of those one might hear on a Wilco record.    Brad Jones, who also provides all the bass work, co-produces with Buchanan on this very satisfying disc.

Miles of Music 
December 2002
http://milesofmusic.com