Now, More Than Ever:Jim Guthrie

Title: Now, More than Ever

Label: Three Gut

Genre: singer/songwriter

Rating: 7 of 7

For his third album, Royal City member Jim Guthrie gives a fantastic performance. His solemn and slightly twangy ballads evoke emotions and retrospection that would make Jeff Tweedy, Sufjan Stevens and Ryan Adams jealous. His accompaniment almost takes center stage, but each time Guthrie reminds you whose name is on the cover. Members of Hidden Cameras, the Constatines, Rockets Red Glare and Royal City add perfectly subtle background music that redefines the word “compliment.” Guthrie’s lyrics are intelligent, observational and emotion-filled. I do not believe that there is a bad song on this record; in fact this may be one of the best singer/songwriter albums that I have ever heard. And since Guthrie did such a damn fine job on this album, I’ll let him close the review with the best description of his music located right in the lyrics, “Sometimes words just sound like noise. Other times noise makes the prettiest sound.”

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