A little too personal

Damien Jurado teams up with producer Richard Swift for a sometimes catchy, yet overall melancholy album. For the most part, the two work well together. Songs like “Cloudy Shoes” and “Arkansas” ring of Swift and previously upbeat Jurado, and such songs are the highlight tracks.
But after about four or five songs, the rest of the album changes and becomes so quiet or personal that listeners might feel alienated or bored. The lyricism, as usual, is interesting and evocative, but its subtlety sometimes works to its demise. Listeners might play the second half of the album through once and never return.
“Saint Bartlett” is reminiscent of an intermediate Neil Young album. For one, check out the crunchy distortion and wail on “Wallingford.”
Jurado surely crafts a few hits but is most overlooked when alone or barely accompanied. Unless you’re a fan of previous Jurado, you might find “Saint Bartlett” only half-entertaining.