Mark Eitzel is best known as the wry crooner and leader of the San Francisco sad sack indie band American Music Club. Following AMC’s final break-up in 2008, Eitzel soon came out with 2009’s Klamath, but subsequently dropped off the radar until 2011 due to a severe heart attack. So Don’t Be a Stranger comes after a particularly trying period in Eitzel’s life, and as such examines life transformations, particularly the struggle of shedding a former identity and moving forward with a fresh start. Songs like “The Bill Is Due”, “I Love You But You’re Dead”, and “Nowhere to Run” find Eitzel’s voice softening, while “Why Are You with Me” and “Oh Mercy” showcase Eitzel’s trademark self-deprecating wit. Eitzel’s fans will like the warm, organic quality of this album, which recalls the more sparsely emotive moments in his discography. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | American Music Club, The Black Swans, East River Pipe, The Ladybug Transistor, Pernice Brothers