Ben C. Foster ~ "Savannah and Her Doc Holiday"

So my friend Lori tells me she heard this guy play at the Press Room in Portsmouth a while back and got a chance to chat with him and get a copy of his CD. This is it. His name's Ben Foster and he's accurately described as a cross between Tom Waits and The Barenaked Ladies (so Jude, maybe Fran will like him). Although he performs solo on the piano when playing live, the album itself is a lot more than that. He recorded it in his basement with a computer, so the production quality is a little low (especially his voice, which seems muffled). And while I don't think he's an incredible discovery who deserves to hit the big time right away-- he currently works at a bank-- I do think he's got a gift for songwriting and has a unique, mellow sound that can be appreciated by listeners of all sorts.

1. Until I Tumble (2.5)
2. The Eloping of Emily Dickenson (3)
3. Concrete (2.5)
4. Ashley the Pop Singer (Texas) (2.5)
5. Gone (3)
6. 7:02 (2.5)
7. Caving In On Me (3.5)
8. Calling Cathy (2)
9. Father Tracy Loves the Beatles (3.5)
10. 16 Hours (2.75)
11. Need to Know (3.25)
12. Savannah and Her Doc Holiday (3)
13. R.S.P. (2)
14. Love is a Worn Down Faded Away Patched Up Puffy Turtle (4)

Overall: 3

The album's second half is definitely stronger, I think -- track 14 in particular, which reaches a whole new level of professionalism and distinctiveness. "She took his shotgun/ took his shells / she took his records and she blew 'em to hell. and she buried his stereo / she buried his keys / she sprayed (?) on the ground and she fell to her knees."