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My advance copy of BSS guitar stud Jason Collett’s fab new Idols Of Exile arrived in a folksy wooden box, perfect packaging for tunes from a carpenter (not a Carpenter) that sound as lovingly wrought and hand-detailed as a Shaker sideboard with fancily unorthodox inlaid accents. Producer Howie Beck brings his gift for cozy, intimate arrangements that don’t sacrifice sonic clarity or subtle details, while Collett’s indie roots songwriting comes alive in new ways. Though he’s backed by a stellar cast of friends and family – the BSS babes provide characteristically lovely vocals, and Andrew Whiteman’s tres solos are great – it’s Collett’s ability to lyrically and aurally crystallize moments in time that makes this album such a delight. Slow-dancing by the lake to 50s doo-wop on a transistor radio, getting wasted in suburban parking lots during junior high makeout sessions – you feel like you’re right there with him.
