Brad Yoder's
Used is a stunning pop album -- beautiful, intimate, lilting, and sparkling in its guitar-based songwriting.
Yoder doesn't rock as much as
Matthew Sweet (though, he comes close on "Stranger Selling Roses"), he lacks the brilliantly catchy momentum of
Brendan Benson (but who doesn't?), and he occasionally has a tendency to slip into territory that's a little too sappy ("2nd Thoughts"). But
Yoder combines the styles of
Benson and
Sweet as well as
Jason Falkner and
the Wallflowers with roots rock, Americana, and pure pop to make for a complex record in the vein of
Andy Stochansky's
Five Star Motel. For proof, just check the masterfully epic "Underground," complete with soaring strings, and the stripped-down wonder of "Land of the Free."
Brad Yoder might not have made a perfect album with
Used, but the record at least shows that he has the potential to. ~ Charles Spano