Search - June & Exit Wounds :: Little More Haven Hamilton Please

Please Don't Hide Your Love Away

Keith R. Sawyer | Arlington, MA USA | 03/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A bouncy homage to the finest late 60's/early 70's moments of *the* Todd and the Beach Boys too, this effort plays like a lazy summer evening of likable AM radio favorites. With so many artists namechecking the above these days, it hasn't been easy to find one that remembers how to infuse basically inconsequential lyrics with identifiable meaning. I mean, a song with a title like "Let's Shack Up Together" is delivered with all the seriousness you'd expect, yet it never sinks to inconsequential patter."

Something/everything

seedy road | 02/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"His impeccable taste in pop thievery hardly overshadows Todd Fletcher's broad spectrum of musical talent. Effortlessly eschewing the fin de siècle Idiot Chic Zeitgeist, Fletcher's beautifully crafted 1999 debut, "a little more Haven Hamilton, please," fairly overflows with boyish charm, small town gossip, pop star infatuations, and girl-next-door crushes, precisely situating this Champaign IL native equidistant between Upper Darby PA and Hawthorne CA-despite the Nashville TN-pointing title of the album-and showcases his penchant for Runt-era piano-based verses that burst forth into breathtaking Smile-inducing choruses. Adding a healthy dose of Mavericks-period Stamey and Holsapple's acoustic intensity, and sprightly Bacharach-styled arrangements, songs like "How Much I Really Loved You," "Highway Noise," and the gorgeously melodic "Let's Shack Up Together," inhabit a sublimely rarefied pop state that has been all but wiped off the face of the US map. These three songs are only the purest pop standouts on an album by a supremely talented auteur who obviously belabors the musicality of every note before he commits it to the mix. While hardly spare-mostly bass, drums-"lite" and keyboards, including vibes-the refined and sophisticated arrangements serve only to enhance Fletcher's natural way with melodies and chord progressions, without ever calling attention to themselves. The slower, vaguely jazz-inflected "I Shouldn't Be Surprised," with its brushed drums and lounge bar guitar lines, reflects Fletcher's avowed love for Blossom Dearie-like directness, while never losing sight of its pop destination; "Straight To My Head," and the atmospheric album-closer "Idly By" have the most overt Chris Stamey influences ("Let's Shack Up Together" lovingly acknowledges the debt, borrowing the keyboard break from "She's Not Worried"), weaving sinuous melodies and dizzying emotional intensity together, with only Fletcher's lighter touch at the mic keeping the listener from wondering why Mavericks wasn't a trio's outing. Tethering himself to a small label, Fletcher's spotlight-shy persona is reflected in the ugly-sounding band name he has chosen, and his disinclination for touring, thus making his radio-ready brilliance available only to those with an enthusiastic love for outstandingly catchy, heart-tugging, classic American pop music. And that's very few people indeed."

Melodious and riddled with angst

Jeffrey J. Lyons | Pembroke, NH United States | 12/04/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"June and the Exit Wounds are a band to watch. If you enjoy pleasant melodies with lyrics of love, lost love, unrequited love, sensual love...you get the picture? Actually it's a little deeper than that. It's brilliant at times. The vocal arrangements are harmonious. Often the songs are reminiscent of the Beach Boys during their creative period (Pet Sounds/Smile). This is particularly true with "Highway Noise" and "How Much I Really Loved You." Occassionally they harmonize like Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The main flaw with it is that it is sometiems redundant. "Let's Shack Up Together," although a fine song, uses the exact same keyboard beat arangement as "Highway Noise." I like how it fades into the sunset with the closer "Idly By," a moody piece arranged around two guitar chords. But I really think this band has a great future. I look forward to hearing more from them."