Jeff Hanson: Son

Jeff Hanson sounds uncannily like a female Elliott Smith, though that's an inherently backhanded compliment, for obvious reasons. He's heard the observation before: Even as frontman for the occasionally raging M.I.J., Hanson's almost-falsetto could come across as effeminately pretty, and his vocals set the now-defunct band apart from its emo-peers. For his debut solo album Son, Hanson stripped away all evidence of his more rocking days in favor of sweet, acoustic-based pop that's flavored (like much of the former-punk-goes-acoustic subgenre) with a dose of melancholy. Which leads to Elliott Smith, the master of sad-sack songwriting and clearly a major influence on Son. From the whispery voice and minor-key melodies right down to the cadence and songwriting style, Smith's spirit is evident. And, like Smith's best work (released, perhaps not by coincidence, by the same small label that put out Son), the album was written and performed almost entirely solo, giving it a warm, insulated feel. As modern songwriters go, few deserve emulation more, and Hanson makes up for the familiarity with a batch of good-to-great songs and the gift of excellent pacing. Simple acoustic/vocal numbers make up Son's heart—a good thing, since Hanson's voice sounds particularly nice when unadorned—but he works in just enough minor twists to keep his stride. For every pair of sonically similar songs like "Hiding Behind The Moon" and "Just Like Me," there are divergences like the rollicking "If You Ever Say" and "You Are The Reason." Toward Son's end, Hanson even takes a clever sidestep into Beatles-land with the micro-epic, six-minute "The End Of Everything Known," revealing a glimpse of musical ambition grander than the rest of the album lets on. That type of bold moment, along with Hanson's songwriting sensibility and singular voice, helps set Son apart.