At the center of
An Angle is a young Sacramento singer/songwriter named Kris Anaya. In 2002 he assembled nearly 20 pals from area groups to help him make And Take It With a Grain of Salt, an ambitious project of gently sweeping indie pop, mild folk and emo tinges, and elements of classic pop structure. First issued through a tiny local imprint, the album eventually made its way to Drive-Thru, which signed
An Angle and reissued Grain of Salt in November 2004. It's most rewarding when it swirls all over the musical and instrumental landscape, acting like a ragtag orchestra of indie boys and girls conducted by
Anton Newcombe's kid brother. "Off to School" is a sea shanty on land, a lurching,
Pogues-ish number complete with accordion, slide guitar, flügelhorn, and gorgeous female harmonies; Anaya leads the way with a put-on brogue and lyrics that regale loutish behavior and drinking over going to class. "An Eagle Circles the Forest" clocks in at over seven minutes, and meanders between gentle guitar chording, Anaya's cryptic emotional musings, and stretches of layered pop grace. "Unnoticeable" is another highlight, using some clever mixing to change the mood. Not everything on Grain of Salt works. Some of Anaya's moves seem self-indulgent, like the lengthy "Like a Locket, Like a Necklace, Like a Bracelet," and there can be precious little separating him from his influences, whether it's the
Pavement overtones of "Self Medicate" or the album's considerable debt to both
Elliott Smith and
Bright Eyes. Still, it's worth noting again that And Take It With a Grain of Salt is a debut, and was recorded a full two years before its Drive-Thru release. With the promising songwriting flashing within its rambling run time, it suggests interesting work down the road from Kris Anaya and his
An Angle collective. ~ Johnny Loftus