Album Review
At almost 25 minutes, I Stopped Listening qualifies as a short EP and a fairly good introduction to We're About 9. Pat Klink, Brian Gundersdorf, and Katie Graybeal offer a sound that's bigger than their small numbers suggest, combining acoustic and electric guitars, drums, and superb harmony. The real standouts here are the first two cuts, "I Don't Know" and "Brooklyn," both featuring Graybeal on vocals. Her gentle, sensitive approach brings a nice emotional quality to these songs, while the group harmonies on the choruses add pop sheen. "I Don't Know," at over five minutes, is rather long, but never feels that way. Graybeal, who wrote both songs, knows how to deliver lovely hooks, too. "Brooklyn" floats along at a quicker pace and relies more on a group sound behind her voice. While the lyrics of both songs are solid, the pleasant, easygoing soundscape is more important: this is the kind of pop music that makes one feel good to be alive. Unfortunately, I Stopped Listening takes an abrupt turn after "Brooklyn," offering three songs by Gundersdorf that fall more comfortably in the folk-pop/alternative country camp. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though I Stopped Listening almost sounds like a different album from this point, and the styles don't work well together. The first two songs, however, are quite good and worth the price of admission. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
