Dolour – New Old Friends
Label: Made in Mexico Records
Style: Indie, Pop, Alternative Pop
Released: 2004
My Grade: 4.5 stars
AMG: 4
Sounds like: Brian Wilson, Belle & Sebastian

This album is sure to become a classic, filled with sweeping pop hooks and the stunningly superior songwriting skills of Dolour’s front man (and principle songwriter) Shane Tutmarc. This album exists at a time when the advent of timeless pop albums seemed almost dead, with Sixpence None The Richer broken up, Belle & Sebastian crumbling inside themselves and Brian Wilson seemingly faded completely to the background.

Quirky songs about the cold music industry ("I Smell A Lawsuit", "Cheer Up Baby") sit comfortably next to songs flavored in a good dose of country music ("Running Forever", "Behind The Melody"), and while the album itself swings in several directions it never seems to break its stride. Granted this album has nothing new to offer, nothing for the critics to hail as the ‘next big thing’ – but there is something to be said about musicians that are able to create amazingly classic pop songs.

New Old Friends comes off as sounding more like a piece of classic memorabilia from your parent’s record collection than a modern indie piece of pure pop. Shane carries his influences on his sleeve and shows that pop can still be a viable form of expression in this rock 'n' roll world.

Reviewed by: Samuel Aaron