Are you curious about what Mitchell Froom's been up to since he split with Suzanne Vega, and Tchad Blake moved to England? (Ms. Vega's last disc sure was great, reeking of heartbreak and betrayal.) The Phantom Planet disc he did sure didn't do much for me. (I mean Jason "Rushmore" Schwartzman's a great actor, but would this band have been signed if he wasn't, and could they have afforded the Froom/Blake recording? I don't think so) The Golden State is a very welcome return to form as well as introducing a strong talent. I first heard Ms. Todd on the excellent Dubways comp that came out last year, and her track, Digital was one of the most memorable songs on the CD. Major label budgets thankfully haven't fucked up her music, as the production and arrangements here are great - the kind of recording that helped Mr. Froom earn his reputation. (www.miadoitodd.com)

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