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Artist: Band: That's Him! That's the Guy!
Album: That's Him! That's the Guy!
CD Review: CD REVIEW: That’s Him! That’s the Guy! – That’s Him! That’s the Guy!

This quirky disc reminds me of some of my other unusual favorites – my daughter’s CD of old Burl Ives songs for kids, the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds outtakes, REM’s Dead Letter Office, and Velvet Underground songs like “I’ll Be Your Mirror.”

I like how THTTG’s minimalist, folksy approach sounds you’re listening in on a couple of guys sitting at home, making a 2006 mini-version of Dylan’s Basement Tapes. It’s unadorned – off-kilter sometimes equals slightly off-key here – but more often than not charming and haunting at the same time.

THTTG is in fact two guys – David Martin and Joseph Scott – tucked away in rural Michigan. Martin’s lyrics are more like confessional short stories told in image-rich run-on sentences, and he sings them over guitar, banjo and simple keyboard touches.

“For the Learned” is mournfully pretty – kind of like a deconstructed version of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” In a similar vein, “February” is a beautiful song with wry lyrics (such as “February is the month for quitting/If you give up on me I would understand.”)

“These Days” is vibrantly strummed but would work better with just guitar and keyboard, minus the hammering drums. The drums work better keeping metronome-like time to “Love Again.”

The harmony vocals throughout the disc are compelling – not always pretty, but they contribute to the duo's spirit of outsiders' camaraderie. The singing doesn't quite work on “Angry and Vengeful Lord,” but listen to the words: the images are vivid.

It’s a good idea to end the disc with the instrumental, “Help Me, I’m on Fire.” The banjo-and-electric guitar intro is a cool contrast – they are the stage and the keyboards play out a smile-as-you-eyes-well-up scene.

That’s Him! That’s the Guy! Have put together a disc that reminds me of a well-written, enigmatic short story – just enough to leave you pleased and still curious at the same time.

www.myspace.com/thatshimthatstheguy