Common Thread * by Paul Manousos

Personnel: Paul Manousos (vocals, guitar, piano, vibraphone); Carrie Akre (vocals, background vocals); The East Bay Wrecking Crew. Audio Mixer: Steve Fisk. Recording information: Tiny Telephone, San Francisco, CA. The first thing that immediately grabs listeners attention is Paul Manousos' voice, for he can belt out a song like nobody's business. The second is his chameleon-like style, for although the singer/songwriter has invariably been tagged either folk or Americana, those labels tell only half the tale. In fact, Manousos is best described as the bastard child of Suede and early Thin Lizzy, but reared among the rolling fields of the American heartland. "Rhumba #23 (Yzarc)," with its catchy "crazy" "Metal Mickey"-ish chorus, is a case in point, and deftly steps straight out of folk and into progressive rock before lashing out Who-esque power chords. "Spell I'm Under" is an equally good example of Manousos' talent for side-swapping genres, a mesmerizing mix of Brit-pop and a purer '60s sound. Contrast...

Key Information
Number of Discs		1
Artist		Paul Manousos
Record Label		Shock & Fall Recordings
Genre		Country
Release Date		March 18, 2008
Song List: Disc 1