On his fourth studio album, singer/songwriter Jackie Leven pushed his ambition lever up a few more notches. While it's normal for Leven's album to be a collage of styles -- including Celtic soul, folk, country, rock & roll, and Burt Bacharach & Hal David-styled pop -- he seldom juxtaposed many of them into single tunes. Here, this happens with stunning regularity. Combined with a lush production style, it can be a bit much for the uninitiated listener. But excess is Leven's trade...   [ read more ]

CD $15.18

CD $18.03

One has to wonder what it will take, if anything, for Scottish singer/songwriter Jackie Leven to make a name for himself stateside. His unflinching yet redemptive songs of the dark sides of archetypical manhood, and his unwavering gaze into the abyss to discover meaning and truth in modern life are lushly orchestrated, gorgeously sung, and beautifully rendered, almost unbearably so. On Shining Brother, Shining Sister, Leven delves once more into the depths of the matters of the heart with a tea...   [ read more ]

CD $16.13