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Title: Brilliantly crafted and intelligent songwriting
Review: What does it mean when a CD's reviews are a mess of 5 star and 1 star ratings? I think it means that you are listening to art, and some folks don't want art. They want cookie cutter music. This ain't that. Shawn's lyrics read like poetry - incredibly well constructed and intelligent poetry. Take a closer listen, and then listen as carefully to all of the other "songwriters" on the radio. No hiding the lyrics behind a wall of overly-produced instrumentation on this album. Shawn uses very few "near" rhymes and a healthy dose of internal rhymes, often even writing in an AABBA pattern - a form which can be awfully difficult to construct without sounding forced. And what a storyteller! My favorite track? The Tanning Bed Song. Listen to the way he plays with that "weather" image throughout the story. Do you find yourself caring about Maria? The kids? I do! This CD sounds like nothing else I own, and it rarely leaves my car player.
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