REVIEW: Gary Tanin - Sublime Nation (MultiMusica)

- Joe Silva

There's not a lot roaming the racks that bears much resemblence to Tanin's debut effort. Sublime Nation is an independent shot with some major league collaborations (Jerry Harrison, Dixie Dregs-man T. Lavitz, and former Femme's drummer Victor De Lorenzo) that has clean, uptempo pop melodies swimming in a mix of bright guitars, neatly arranged synthesizers and harmonies. Tanin's voice approximates something that sounds like a spry Donald Fagen minus the cynacism as he goes through a roster of love songs that are unique in that they are so unabashedly straight faced in a time when vague lyrical allusions reign supremo. "Little Black Book" has an effective dash of horns and a revivalist emotion to it and the strolling bass rhythm and the pleasant overall feel of "When You Need Somebody" may get Tanin some attention in the end.

The CD is available for $15 (US), postage paid from MultiMusica PO Box 10181, Milwaukee, WI 53210 USA.