release date: Mar. 27, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Grant-Lee Phillips
label: Zoë Records / Cooking Vinyl (reissue) - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Runaway" - 2. "Soft Asylum (No Way Out)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Fountain of Youth" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "Dream in Color" - 7. "Raise the Spirit" - 9. "Killing a Dead Man" - 11. "Return to Love"
5th solo studio album by Grant-Lee Phillips follows only nine months after Nineteeneighties (Jun. 2006). Here, he's back again with his own material, and this is really not like any of his former solo albums being much lighter but also more uptempo than usual. As much as I enjoy his slow melancholic alt. folk songs, I think, he also shines when he's more energetic and pop-minded, although, it's hard to conclude that it necessarily makes it better. The tracks here are composed more as the music with Grant Lee Buffalo, although, this hasn't much alt. rock to it, but more of a pop / rock and alt. folk sound with nice glimpses of Marc Bolan glam rock about it. Strangelet is a strong album and recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]
