It may be called The Reluctant Graveyard, but Jeremy Messersmith’s latest release is anything but dark and dour. Using death as the theme for the 11 tracks on the album, the Minneapolis singer/songwriter has written thoughtful and intelligent lyrics and layered them over music that recalls ‘60s pop by the Kinks, Brian Wilson, the Monkees and the Beatles. What really stands out is how well-crafted The Reluctant Graveyard is, with not one single song feeling like a weak link. Messersmith starts off with “Lazy Bones,” an upbeat Sufjan Stevens-meets-ELO song that is a near-perfect pop song complete with an earnest refrain and punchy piano solo. The rest of the album swoons back and forth between softer Simon & Garfunkel folk tunes and lively pop tracks that are full of life and invention. It may be an album about death, but these songs are meant to be enjoyed and lived in. – Written by DBosket
SIMILAR | Haley Bonar, Chris Koza, Nada Surf, Sufjan Stevens, Dan Wilson