On his solo debut, Glen Phillips deals with a lot of the same issues he did while fronting toad the wet sprocket: abused women, women who get taken advantage of, darkness, wanting, renewal, and broken promises. He paints pictures of people, and allows us to deal with the feelings provoked by his stories about them.
Sometimes serious, sometimes playful, Phillips has given us twelve songs in which we can figure out who we are. Our reactions to his characters say a lot about us, whether we are sympathetic, or angry, or both. "Men Just Leave" portrays women looking for love, thinking they have found it, then losing it and having to deal with the consequences of their actions:
One and one ends up to be three
Don't need to have love, don't need to be sweet
But when the air gets heavy and it's hard to breathe
The women get stuck, and men just leave
"Professional Victim" speaks of women looking for someone who will protect them, only to fall prey to those who will mistreat them, and strip them of their self-esteem:
And once you let them get to you
It never washes off
'Cause they can smell the weak ones
And just pick you off like a pigeon
And each one is worse than the last one
Until you're a professional victim
"Back on My Feet" is a highlight, dealing with personal struggles, and perseverance, and recovery. It shows a resilience of spirit that we all need when things get tough.
Much like Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Phillips suffers a little without the backing of his former group, but the vocal abilities and songwriting still shine through. Hopefully, this release is a sign of greater things to come.
3.5 tocks
Similar sounding releases
2001Ryan AdamsGold
2004Allison MoorerThe Duel
2002Brian WebbBroken Folk
2001Robert Earl KeenGravitational Forces
2003Lucinda WilliamsWorld Without Tears
2001WaterdeepYou Are So Good to Me
