Goldenboy : Sleepwalker

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/goldenboysleepwalker.jpg" alt="Goldenboy : Sleepwalker" />Shon Sullivan exceeds the ditty as Goldenboy on <i>Sleepwalker</i>. ...
Goldenboy : Sleepwalker
7.6 Eenie Meanie
2011 

Goldenboy : Sleepwalker There’s a reason you like little ditties.  They’re catchy, oh-so-enjoyable, and oh-so-easy on the ears.

There’s a reason you grew out of little ditties.  They’re very limited, can get grating, and lack a great deal of substance.

Former Elliott Smith (QRO album review) bandmate Shon Sullivan walks the ditty walk as Goldenboy (Smith’s nickname for him) on Sleepwalker, sometimes falling into the insubstantial trap, but more often exceeding the sound.

One of the best ways Sullivan exceeds the ditty is by putting a press underneath, like with alt-folk opener "Different Moon" and later airy & ominous piece "Body and Soul" – something he really should have done more of Sleepwalker.  Most of the record is catchy ditties, some of which are excellent slices of indie-pop ("She Belongs To Me", "Chelsea Girl", and closer "Holiday"), some of which are too sweet and saccharine ("He Liked Cloudy Weather", "Lilac Afternoon", and the penultimate title track).  There are also moments when Sullivan goes more complex, most notably with the more melodic and meaningful "Rock and Roll All Night".

Sleepwalker is nothing if not enjoyable, even in the slow and sad songs such as "Anna Said".  The pieces that are more than just enjoyable do make those that aren’t seem ‘just’ enjoyable, but that’s hardly the worst thing in the world.  Kind of like ditties.

MP3 Stream: "She Belongs To Me"

{audio}/mp3/files/Goldenboy – She Belongs To Me.mp3{/audio}

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