Gypsy Eyes Records has established itself as the go-to local label for best in twangy songs dealing with heartbreak and longing, and it has a new best album in its catalogue with the release of John Bustine's "Waltzes and Pleas." The local singer-songwriter does the basic singer-songwriter thing, but does it extremely well. The arrangements are simple, mostly based around Bustine's acoustic guitar and weary voice. This makes full-band rockers like "This Guitar Says I'm Drunk" and "Graceless Birds of Death" all the more effective. Bustine's lyrics can be especially bitter and self-loathing, sometimes even bordering on cartoonish. He manages to pull it off, though, and it beats the same old wistful laments this type of music usually offers.

When the full band kicks in, there's no holding back. The guitars are thick and distorted, the drums are forceful. It doesn't sound like a folk band trying to play loud, it simply sounds like a rock band. And that might be the secret to the success of "Waltzes and Pleas." Singer-songwriter albums are usually predictable affairs, but Bustine keeps you on your toes here. A particular standout is "Jesus, Jesus Not Again" a duet with Helena Arlock that features the type of depressing/humorous lyrics that can be found throughout the album. "You'll be the death of me / Unless I kill you first / Is there anyway this could go any worse? / We haven't hit the second verse" they sing in unison early on before the song closes with Bustine asking "Did I blow it?" "Baby you know it," she responds. Maybe he did in that story, but certainly not on this impressive debut.

--David Malitz (Sept. 2007)