St. James Something

Falling With the Stars

BY Eric HillPublished Oct 1, 2003

Being a record producer must be much like panning for gold. You swirl the sludgy stuff of riverbeds looking for glitter. Dwaine T. Iler is St. James Something and on his first album, like so many first-timers, he has decided to do his own panning, er, producing. Synthesiser and cheap percussion are the building blocks of most tracks, sometimes touched by space echo guitar and treated monotone vocals that suggest a love for the Beatles at their most lysergic. There is some glitter to be found, but not until the halfway point with "Motionless,” which is the first (near) song. Earlier tracks are more theme-like or repeated bridges in search of a song. But the album gains strength from this point on and its last five tracks are its strongest. Perhaps an older prospector can be brought along on the next excursion.
(Independent)

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