Rating: NNNN
Most live recordings have a homemade quality, and Chris Picco’s third solo album, The Beach, is no exception. The living-room vibe suits the Long Distance Runners frontman perfectly, since many of the tracks are domestic love songs that are grounded and appreciative rather than cloyingly happy.
He’s backed throughout by a small band, including violinist/backing vocalist Ilia Nicoll. Her violin lines breathe right along with Picco’s classic chord progressions nothing sounds tacked-on here.
Top track is a tough call: Dylanesque Real Estate Man tells a timely story about a guy who helps build suburbs to win over the woman he loves, while opener Rodeo Girl (a co-write with Picco’s brother Charles) thematically evokes Jonathan Richman’s Since She Started To Ride, though it’s mellower. But poppier Worth Believing takes the cake with shimmery electric guitars and lovely fade. It even contains a restated marriage proposal.
Top track: Worth Believing
