Get Ready for Eytan!

Album Review

Why a major label didn't jump at the chance to release an album as fantastic as Get Ready for Eytan is a mystery. When the charts (and used bins) are filled with second-rate artists playing third-rate music and acts like Eytan Mirksy can't get arrested, you know that something smells fishy in Hitsville. From the opener, "Out of Sight," it's obvious that Mirsky enjoys the hell out of what he's doing, and it's easy to fall for his carefree, spirited music. Part Nick Lowe and part Jonathan Richman, Mirsky takes his craft seriously while having a whole lot of fun with it. With a quiver in his voice, he sounds as confident as he does innocent and wide-eyed. Though he doesn't rip off the past as liberally as Lowe once did, he does sprinkle his songs with just enough musical references to keep you guessing. "What Do I Do?" mixes an early Beatles guitar hook with an upbeat alt-country groove. "Allergic to Fun" sounds like a cool surf band covering a Violent Femmes song for a Beach Blanket movie. "Found" is a heartfelt country ballad that is far too intelligent for the country market. "Record Collection," inspired by the book High Fidelity, speaks to all of us nerdy music types. All in all, a fabulous collection of pop songs without one bad apple in the bunch.