Thank you Jack White

Just in time for another break-up, Brendan Benson returns with another break-up album. And it's stellar. Not just in the 'Someone Told My Story In a Song' way, but in the non-stop attack of great hooks, melodies, riffs, and Cheap Trick-isms way.

It's a shoe in for my album of the year, and I just listened to the new Wildhearts, so there isn't much left to knock it out. It's got rockers, acoustic ballads and even a Motown nod, complete with huge strings!

The first half of what would be the second side is 3 tracks of insane power pop perfection. 'Poised and Ready', 'Don't Wanna Talk', and 'Miserey', which features a part where he layers "do do do do"s that culminate in a saccharine "yeah" under "hey now", almost as if he just wanted to see if he could make it fit. He could. 'Don't Wanna Talk' has my favorite line: "You're soft to the touch/and hard to believe"

Thank you Brendan, you are getting me through another one! And thank you Jack White for releasing Mr. Benson from The Raconteurs long enough to make such a masterpiece.

Listen for yourself.
Brendan Benson
Credit to the OU.