MITCH EASTER
Dynamico (Electric Devil)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Mitch Easter may not be a household name to the average person, but any liner note hound knows all about this guy. He fronted the 80s power pop band Let's Active, releasing three of the best and most criminally undersold and underplayed albums of the era, but his real fame is as the producer of some of the best albums of the last twenty-plus years. He was behind the console for the early R.E.M. classics and the best work from an array of artists from Chris Stamey to Pavement. The only real surprise about Dynamico is that it's only his first solo album after so many years in the business. There's no surprise regarding quality, that's for sure. The songs are hooky and jangly, with exactly enough grit to keep the edges just jagged enough that the power never flees the pop. The harmonies are exquisite, especially on "You/Me," one of the best power pop songs to come along in ages. One begins to get the idea that Mitch Easter can't miss. A quarter of a century into his career, Easter's first solo album is finally here; it's everything we hoped it would be and more. Gives you a chance to catch on, in case you missed him the first time around.

© 2007 - DJ Johnson