Tommy Keene — In The Late Bright

In The Late Bright

Second Motion/Redeye

Cameron Gordon (CHARTattack)

02/19/2009 1:13pm

Tommy Keane is always the bridesmaid but never quite the bride, and he's slid under the radar for decades despite being championed by various indie rock heavyweights.

This eighth album continues Keene's musical legacy of smart, well-crafted pop/rock that recalls Matthew Sweet, The Posies and their ilk.

Twenty-five years into his career, Keene sounds slightly more weathered and resigned on tracks like "A Secret Life Of Stories" and "Realize Your Mind." But he tempers that with more experimental pieces like "Elevated," a curious stab at modern psychedelia that sort sounds like one of Yo La Tengo's more pretentious moments.

Whatever the blend, it works. In The Late Bright is a consistent, wholly listenable album that never overextends itself or veers into pretension or self-indulgence.

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