You know, if i wanted to listen to Nick Drake, i would listen to Nick Drake.

I mention this because, on this album, Mojave 3 have completed their transformation from a post-Shoegazer band with vaguely alt-country pretensions (i.e., a over fondness for tremolo) to a stereotypical folk-rock act.

My question is, when did Neal Halstead decide to stop being creative? Why did he decide to just play music like that which has been done so many times before?

I know what the diehard Halsted fans are going to say, so i'll save them the trouble. No, i do not, in fact "get" this album. I don't understand why Neal left behind the wonderful sonic textures he was creating with Slowdive to instead make pop music in a tried and true vein with Mojave 3. The first Mojave 3 LP, well, it had some moments, and it did flow logically from the sound of Pygmalion. The second disc, well, it was more normal pop, with more of a country influence. This album: it sounds like the music Nick Drake would have made had he grown up in Nashville.

Ugh.

I guess i can safely say now that Neal Halsted and myself have grown in opposite directions. Unless i hear really fabulous things on the radio, this is the last album by him that i will buy.

I wish you luck Neal. I don't understand why you gave up, and i wish you would try and push the limits of music again, but oh well.

To all the rest of you: if you are a Slowdive fan and are thinking about picking this up, don't. If you like alt.country or are really into folk music, then maybe this has something for you. Maybe -- Tracers seems to like it and she appreciates alt.country.

So there you go.

Ugh. I am annoyed i bought this thing and listened to it more than once!