Pitchfork

I haven't listened to much Jeff Hanson, but, as been noted before, the first thing you notice is his voice-- high-pitched, delicate, precise. After spending some time last year with those Bobb Trimble reissues, I sense an overlap there, or perhaps it's just the way that they both remind me of Big Star in "Give Me Another Chance" mode. In any event, this song, from his forthcoming third album Madam Owl on Kill Rock Stars, is nicely balanced and sweetly melodic, as he sings the tune atop a bed of plucked banjo, horns, and a stuttering drum beat.

MP3:> Jeff Hanson: "If Only I Knew"
[from Madam Owl; due 08/19/08 on Kill Rock Stars; available for pre-order now]