Michael Shelley: I Blame You (2001)

Michael Shelley's ability to craft witty, unassuming pop songs has developed nicely over the course of two solo albums and a side project. While in the past he's occasionally experienced problems balancing cleverness with tunefulness, he's never sounded stronger than he does on I Blame You. Blame's song titles ("Don't Fence Me Out," "Let's Fall In Hate") suggest that Shelley has surrendered to one side of that equation, but the songs themselves tell a different story. "Mix Tape" opens the album on an appropriate note, wedding a catchy melody to the story of a romantic gesture, but there's more at work here than silly love songs. "Stoop Sale," co-written with Belle And Sebastian's Stevie Jackson, lists items on the verge of being sold by a disgruntled lover—including, next to baseball cards and camping equipment, a "mix tape that he made her." The unfortunate protagonist of "Don't Fence Me Out" doesn't score much better, but the song reveals a pleasant country influence, even if it's drawn more directly from Cole Porter than Porter Wagoner. "Let's Fall In Hate," on the other hand, is a full-on, pun-riddled country duet with Laura Cantrell, and a good one at that; it fills out Shelley's power-trio lineup with steel guitar, and the sonic diversity serves him well. There's a faint air of menace in the way the guitar line of the otherwise sunny "Favorite Graduate" echoes "Don't Fear The Reaper," while the horn section of "Nine Lives" suggests time spent with the recent Stax box set. On the whole, however, the tone of Shelley's songs—endearing but not cloying—sets I Blame You apart, making it another fine recording from one of the most reliably entertaining singer-songwriters around.