All Things Bright and Beautiful

Item: Love and Affection
Author: Phil Nichols

Love and Affection

(2003)

Reviewed by Phil Nichols

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Northern RecordsDecapolisMarch 2004

indie pop piano rock singer-songwriter

Every once in a while you come across an album that just completely blows you away. An album that you listen to straight through and feel compelled to start it over again at the beginning so you can experience it one more time. An album that you can relate to. An album that makes you genuinely feel what the artist feels. One of these albums is Love and Affection, the debut release from All Things Bright and Beautiful, former Luxury frontman Lee Bozeman's solo project.

Love and Affection, finds Bozeman abandoning the traditional rock sound of Luxury and dabbling in a more classic pop styling. Layers of piano arrangements, acoustic and electric guitars, and elemental beats all back up Bozeman's passionate, pleading vocals. The music is beautiful and simplistic, which really helps the message of the songs to stand out. The lyrics almost read like poems and are very diverse. Some songs are warm and hopeful, like Make Me A Blessing, while others are uncomfortable and unflattering like Post-Modern Love, which deals honestly with the issue of lust. The topics range from personal reflections on Christ, love, lusts, sin, and deliverance, and are truly profound, bringing out both the light and the darkness of humanity.

This is an absolutely beautiful release. It will capture your interest from start to finish and bring you back for many more listens. Musically, the style is a sort of combination of the Flaming Lips, Bright Eyes, and the Beatles, mixed with grand scale overtures and quiet interludes. Love and Affection is an outstanding debut for All Things Bright and Beautiful. Lee Bozeman has raised the bar for solo artists everywhere with this record. Both in sound and message, this album is one of the best of the year.

3.5/4