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Dutch-to-English translation by Dik de Heer as:
"Gorgeous pop craftsmanship from West Coast upstart. Fans of densely melodic, melancholy pop will flip for Los Angeleno John Hoskinson's solo debut...The lost link between Rubber Soul and Emitt Rhodes" (Uncut magazine), a most laudatory review by this British magazine, accompanied by a four-star rating no less. In the end, pop music is all about just one thing: writing the perfect pop song. For his new CD, Miscellaneous Heathen, newcomer John Hoskinson wrote eleven pop songs that come across as sometimes quite joyful and then again as heavily melancholic. John Hoskinson is not afraid of austere intimate pop songs. And he has a thorough command of writing that kind of song.
For his inspiration, Neill Finn, Mike Viola, Jeff Lynne and The Gin Blossoms are still crucial ; nevertheless, Miscellaneous Heathen doesn't sound rootsy. Hoskinson. knows his classics like Pete Yorn and Rhett Miller, but in the end he does his own thing. Backing him up are Eugene Edwards (guitar) and Mike "Soupy" Sessa (drums) of the Eugene Edwards Band, who appear on almost all songs, the mixing and mastering of which were in the hands of maestro Joe Ongie. The entire accompaniment has been kept very simple on this debut album, of which the highlights are "I Belong To You", "It's Not My Place", "I Hope I Die before You Do" and "When She Speaks".
Miscellaneous Heathen is an album oozing with talent. At the same time it is a CD of considerable gracefulness, which leaves an imprint on one's memory after just one hearing. No matter how often you hear them, the pop songs of John Hoskinson remain very beautiful. It all seems so simple what Hoskinson is doing, but everyone who occasionally tries his hand at making music of his own will agree that it is extremely clever and oh so difficult.
In a nutshell : Miscellaneous Heathen: delicious sunny and melancholy pop songs that attract attention through tasteful arrangements and simple instrument choices, but above all by very strong songs.
- Freddy Celis
Click here to see actual review in Dutch
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