Press & Reviews

CMJ New Music Report
October 19, 1998

Reviews
Block
Timing Is Everything (Java-Capitol)

Though he was born and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the same fertile musical ground that spawned Ben Folds Five and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, singer/songwriter Jamie Block is now a New Yorker. He spent some time busking in the subway, and later released his college radio-friendly debut album, Lead Me Not Into Penn Station. Now, Block is back with Timing Is Everything, his first release for Glen Ballard's Java Records. A minimal, yet hearty, blend of witty metropolitan alterna-folk, Timing is anchored by Block's wry storytelling. Whether his tales are tongue-in-cheek or soaked in gut-wrenching angst, they're always thought-provoking. Block's emotional range shifts from laid back and mellow to rowdy and rocking, making Timing a record fit for every mood, whether you seek to shake your booty or drown your sorrows.
- Amy Sciarretto

For Fans Of: Lou Reed, Jeff Buckley, Red House Painters, late-period Robyn Hitchcock

Recommended Tracks: "I Used To Manage PM Dawn," "I Call Her Vicious," "The Pink House Must Burn," "Rhinoceros"

Add Date: October 5; at radio now

Marketing Date: Currently touring the East Coast with Heather Nova,
Jimmie's Chicken Shack and Nada Surf