Capitol
2005
Self Help Serenade
About This Album
Self Help Serenade hit the U.K. in spring 2004, so it's been released domestically on a plush critical pillow, with bulbous sticker quotes bursting with words like "genius" and "classic." That's overstating it a little bit. Evan Slamka, the brains behind the band Marjorie Fair, has definitely written a pleasant collection of songs. They reflect the dusky light of his L.A. home, and his dream girl's figure is forever silhouetted against the sunset. But Serenade can't be marked a "classic" just because it taps classic pop elements (like the Beach Boys, for one; its album art even suggests Endless Summer), or because its contributors include crack session players Jim Keltner, Joey Waronker, and Kim Bullard, the piano and B3 of Billy Preston on the gentle "Hold on to You," and the work of Jon Brion, who's credited with "various custom sounds." No, Marjorie Fair's debut is just a pretty thing falling somewhere between singer/songwriter indulgence and clever chamber pop. "Empty Room" is an immediate standout. In lesser hands it'd be akin to John Mayer, but Slamka and his mates give it palpable depth and an unforgettable chorus.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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