ARTiST: Josh T. Pearson
ALBUM: Last Of The Country Gentlemen
BiTRATE: 166kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Mute
GENRE: Indie
SiZE: 73.65 megs
PLAYTiME: 0h 58min 33sec total
RiP DATE: 2011-03-12
STORE DATE: 2011-03-11

Track List:
--------
01. Thou Art Loosed                  3:14
02. Sweetheart I Ain't Your Christ  11:45
03. Woman, When I've Raised Hell     6:59
04. Honeymoon's Great: Wish You     13:00
    Were Her
05. Sorry With A Song               10:50
06. Country Dumb                    10:13
07. Drive Her Out                    2:32

Release Notes:
--------
How do you grade a perfect album? More to the point, how do you review an album
so remarkable that its perfection will ultimately turn most listeners off?

And here is something else that will blow your mind: Most of the people who end
up disliking Last Of The Country Gentlemen after theyÆve heard it still wonÆt be
able to pan it very much, because that would be like piling more agony on a guy
that sounds like heÆs just had the worst day of his entire life.
The back-story goes like this: Josh T. Pearson pulls the plug on the promising
Lift To Experience band after one double album and a year of such enormous
tragedy that it gets the band members to consider ôMaybe this is a sign from a
higher being that we should wrap it before things really get bad.ö

For a man like Pearson - someone raised in a family with religious convictions -
a sign from above is not something to ignore or take lightly.

During a nearly decadelong sabbatical, Pearson released only one song - an
appropriate cover of a Hank WilliamsÆ tune. Occasionally, heÆd play a gig or two
for fifty bucks, purposely avoiding the road to additional notoriety.

But at one show, he noticed that his epic tales of inner turmoil even brought
tears to a pair of surely Irish meatheads. It was then that Josh T. Pearson
decided he needed to record the material, because he realized that the music he
created to resolve his own demons was powerful enough to emit a cathartic
response in others.

Last Of The Country Gentlemen is sixty-minutes long with only seven songs to
choose from. Do the math, and youÆll see that this means youÆre in for a long
ride. And with only PearsonÆs last-call drawl and barely there instrumentation
underneath, youÆre going to need a moment or two to fully engulf this
understated masterpiece.

The short track listing may be intimidating to some, but it is essential to this
albumÆs success. Nearly every song is a slow build, and for many of them, things
start getting jaw-droppingly good around the halfway point.

ThereÆs a vague linear pattern thatÆs followed on the longer material, but you
get the unnerving sense that heÆs softening himself up a bit on the first half
of the song before totally laying everything out on the song until it feels
uncomfortably close to eavesdropping.

ôSweetheart I AinÆt Your Christö starts with broken guitar scales before Pearson
weaves a heart-wrenching tale of a love thatÆs parting. ôYou donÆt need a lover
or a friend,ö he whispers. ôYou need a savior,ö he continues, hitting each word
with purpose, ôAnd I am not à him.ö

You can hear Pearson break down close to tears at some points. At others, heÆll
pause for what seems like an eternity - leading the listener to believe the
story is over. After the silence, he returns, leading us to believe that he
needed a moment or two to collect himself before continuing ahead.

I donÆt know how it will affect you, but I pushed back tears over a half-dozen
times the first time I heard Last Of The Country Gentlemen. Sure, the impact had
a lot to do with the material and the way itÆs delivered, but the sheer honesty
of this collection resonates with our compassion as people. If you donÆt feel a
tinge of empathy when you hear ôI know no one knows more than I that I was
wrong, and still I can barely say 'IÆm sorry' with a fuckinÆ songö ("Sorry With
A Song") then maybe youÆre part of whatÆs wrong with the world. The lack of
civility of our elected leaders, the joy that we relish when people fail before
us, and the way we address each other in digital anonymity - all of these traits
are the polar opposite of whatÆs taking place in this record.

ThereÆs a sense of caring within Last Of The Country GentlemenÆs devastation -
even when the narratorÆs struggling with his own sin and guilt. Yes, thereÆs a
bunch of spiritual imagery throughout the album, giving the confessional a
heavier tone and those moments of silence an added poignancy.

Give it the time it deserves and youÆll hear how a quick, minimally arranged
weekend recording of a Texan abroad can stand above most anything else youÆll
hear all year.

Listen again and you may even hear something beyond the album of the year
accolaids that Last Of The Country Gentlemen will undoubtedly receive. You may
hear a record that can warm your heart enough that it points the way to your own
redemption.



This NFO File was rendered by NFOmation.net

ARTiST: Josh T. Pearson
ALBUM: Last Of The Country Gentlemen
BiTRATE: 166kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Mute
GENRE: Indie
SiZE: 73.65 megs
PLAYTiME: 0h 58min 33sec total
RiP DATE: 2011-03-12
STORE DATE: 2011-03-11

Track List:
--------
01. Thou Art Loosed                  3:14
02. Sweetheart I Ain't Your Christ  11:45
03. Woman, When I've Raised Hell     6:59
04. Honeymoon's Great: Wish You     13:00
    Were Her
05. Sorry With A Song               10:50
06. Country Dumb                    10:13
07. Drive Her Out                    2:32

Release Notes:
--------
How do you grade a perfect album? More to the point, how do you review an album
so remarkable that its perfection will ultimately turn most listeners off?

And here is something else that will blow your mind: Most of the people who end
up disliking Last Of The Country Gentlemen after they’ve heard it still won’t be
able to pan it very much, because that would be like piling more agony on a guy
that sounds like he’s just had the worst day of his entire life.
The back-story goes like this: Josh T. Pearson pulls the plug on the promising
Lift To Experience band after one double album and a year of such enormous
tragedy that it gets the band members to consider “Maybe this is a sign from a
higher being that we should wrap it before things really get bad.”

For a man like Pearson - someone raised in a family with religious convictions -
a sign from above is not something to ignore or take lightly.

During a nearly decadelong sabbatical, Pearson released only one song - an
appropriate cover of a Hank Williams’ tune. Occasionally, he’d play a gig or two
for fifty bucks, purposely avoiding the road to additional notoriety.

But at one show, he noticed that his epic tales of inner turmoil even brought
tears to a pair of surely Irish meatheads. It was then that Josh T. Pearson
decided he needed to record the material, because he realized that the music he
created to resolve his own demons was powerful enough to emit a cathartic
response in others.

Last Of The Country Gentlemen is sixty-minutes long with only seven songs to
choose from. Do the math, and you’ll see that this means you’re in for a long
ride. And with only Pearson’s last-call drawl and barely there instrumentation
underneath, you’re going to need a moment or two to fully engulf this
understated masterpiece.

The short track listing may be intimidating to some, but it is essential to this
album’s success. Nearly every song is a slow build, and for many of them, things
start getting jaw-droppingly good around the halfway point.

There’s a vague linear pattern that’s followed on the longer material, but you
get the unnerving sense that he’s softening himself up a bit on the first half
of the song before totally laying everything out on the song until it feels
uncomfortably close to eavesdropping.

“Sweetheart I Ain’t Your Christ” starts with broken guitar scales before Pearson
weaves a heart-wrenching tale of a love that’s parting. “You don’t need a lover
or a friend,” he whispers. “You need a savior,” he continues, hitting each word
with purpose, “And I am not … him.”

You can hear Pearson break down close to tears at some points. At others, he’ll
pause for what seems like an eternity - leading the listener to believe the
story is over. After the silence, he returns, leading us to believe that he
needed a moment or two to collect himself before continuing ahead.

I don’t know how it will affect you, but I pushed back tears over a half-dozen
times the first time I heard Last Of The Country Gentlemen. Sure, the impact had
a lot to do with the material and the way it’s delivered, but the sheer honesty
of this collection resonates with our compassion as people. If you don’t feel a
tinge of empathy when you hear “I know no one knows more than I that I was
wrong, and still I can barely say 'I’m sorry' with a fuckin’ song” ("Sorry With
A Song") then maybe you’re part of what’s wrong with the world. The lack of
civility of our elected leaders, the joy that we relish when people fail before
us, and the way we address each other in digital anonymity - all of these traits
are the polar opposite of what’s taking place in this record.

There’s a sense of caring within Last Of The Country Gentlemen’s devastation -
even when the narrator’s struggling with his own sin and guilt. Yes, there’s a
bunch of spiritual imagery throughout the album, giving the confessional a
heavier tone and those moments of silence an added poignancy.

Give it the time it deserves and you’ll hear how a quick, minimally arranged
weekend recording of a Texan abroad can stand above most anything else you’ll
hear all year.

Listen again and you may even hear something beyond the album of the year
accolaids that Last Of The Country Gentlemen will undoubtedly receive. You may
hear a record that can warm your heart enough that it points the way to your own
redemption.



This NFO File was rendered by NFOmation.net