Gary Jules - Trading Snakeoil For Wolftickets

Having first heard Gary Jules as most other people heard him, on the Donnie Darko soundtrack covering "Mad World" by Tears For Fears, I'm not sure what I expected from his solo release. Certainly not a disc of covers from legitimate 80's bands done in a mildly creepy and morose way - that'd be too easy (though the song is on the disc). What you get is a disc of 12 tracks true to the singer-songwriter mentality of the 70's. If Cat Stevens is your thing, then Gary Jules is your thing. If you were considering checking out his full-length of work based entirely on what you heard from the Donnie Darko soundtrack, you will be severly disappointed. Not that songs like "Pills," "Broke Window," or "Patchwork G" aren't skillfully done, but they are more likely to feature slide guitar, harmonica, or mandolin before they repeat the stripped down piano stylings of "Mad World." It is kind of a shame that Donnie Darko will expose Gary Jules to so many people in such the wrong audience. Being known for a cover song from a soundtrack about a teens struggle with circular time travel is not exactly appropriate for such a talented storyteller and songwriter. To really get your feet wet with Mr. Jules, I suggest listening to "Broke Window" or "Keep" - some of his finer work. [www.garyjules.com]