Dennis Driscoll is the sort of tireless young singer/songwriter who's always writing -- or at least it seems that way. If all of his songs aren't equally well developed, neither would any qualify as mere throwaways (which can't be said about most artists who are as prolific).
Voices in the Fog, his third full-length, is a 17-song folk-pop affair that weaves influences from
Nick Drake ("Sarah Jane, Pt. 2") to
Heavenly ("Drive-In") to
Beat Happening ("Fall in Love"). His voice wavers at times, the drumming occasionally veers off the beat, and "Where Did We Go Wrong," in particular, sounds as if it were recorded off a scratchy record, but these "flaws" -- which may well be intentional -- only add to the homespun charm that is
Voices in the Fog (which was produced by K Records honcho and lo-fi enthusiast
Calvin Johnson). Guest musicians include fellow Olympians
Mirah, Katy Davidson (
Dear Nora), Khaela Maricich (the Blow), DJ K.O. (
IQU) -- who adds theremin to the fanciful "Moon Patrol" -- and Heather Dunn and
Chris Sutton from
Dub Narcotic Sound System. The CD edition includes a music video for "Drive-In" and an interview. ~ Kathleen C. Fennessy