Gram Parsons called it Cosmic American Music, a term that reflected the paisley aesthetic of the late 60s. But this curious little sub-genre has managed to morph itself into various incarnations since then, from the 70s peaceful, easy California Country, to too-slick 1980s country pop, to the alt-country boom of the 90s, which was a couple of hit records from-as a friend of mine recently put it in reference to Wilco's debut, A.M.-saving pop music. As for me, I know it strikes many as cliché, but I still get a familiar, welcome little thrill from hearing that tremulous, liquid stirring of pedal steel rise up through the mix. Eric Thompson is a California-bred roots artists who on Locally World Famous's best songs corrals the best of his home state's sound to evoke The Mavericks or Los Lobos, and who at times reaches back a little further to give an unironic nod to Elvis Presley. "Gone, Gone, Gone" could probably be the album's hit single. It's a buoyant song with a great rhythm, and its elliptical lyrics careen through images of loneliness, self-reflection, and even politics. The best of what Thompson does comes together in this song, with its country instrumentation, energetic pace, and blithe sensibility. Locally World Famous is a solid, if occasionally uneven, entry into its thankfully long-lived genre, of which Eric Thompson is a skilled purveyor. -Delusions of Adequacy 3/2004

Song		Actions
	Gone, Gone, Gone Country - Alternative Plays: 71	View Song Info
	Slave to Love Pop - Europop Plays: 49	View Song Info

Manic + Organic