Anders Parker
Tell It To The Dust (Baryon)
by Marc Hirsh

originally published in Amplifier, January-February 2005

Full of vaguely rustic pop songs and driven by a space cowboy voice that’s equal parts Beck, Adam Duritz and barbiturate haze, former Varnaline Anders Parker’s solo debut Tell It To The Dust is like Sea Change without the heartbreak or the keen focus that comes with it. It’s not too far removed from his old band’s work, but Parker’s familiarity with the territory doesn’t prevent “C’Mon Now” from sounding like shards of Wilco’s Summer Teeth glued together (whereas “Tell It To The Dust” sounds like “Summer Teeth” itself, title track meeting title track) or the drums in “Don’t Worry Honey, Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” when they come in at the end of the second chorus, from forcing the song into a tempo twice as fast as it wants to go. Parker’s warm and rumbly sound is appealing enough, but it’s one that requires stronger songs than Tell It To The Dust is able to provide.

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