Hamblin, Chase
A Fine Time
Infectious pop songs, lavish Beatlesque production, psychedelic imagery, and a sweet, soaring voice to pull them all together. Rufus Wainwright? Jeff Buckley? Beck? Houstons Chase Hamblin brings the passion of Buckley and Beck along with the lush sound and impressionistic imagery of Wainwright, but hes also as jangly and hip as the Small Faces grooving in Itchycoo Park. Put another way, he rocks. "Were Gonna Make It" is a rock and roll nugget of pure radio-friendly sunshine; "Never Let You Go" an urgent blast of power pop; "Bye Bye" a swirling Sgt. Pepper tour de force. The sixties are alive and well in Hamblins indie pop world, but so is the Texas singer/songwriter music tradition. Chase Hamblin: remember the name, remember the sound, remember the songs. Its all too beautiful.