Help Wanted

"Help Wanted", immediately.

After Jane's Addiction, Deconstruction, and Polar Bear, singer / bassist Eric Avery's debut solo album has finally seen the light of day. Long in the works, this album is an excellent collection of songs that are dark and lush. Avery's baritone is closest to Bauhaus' Peter Murphy, but his songwriting is very progressive and almost symphonic compared to electronic tinged rock of his (musical) counterparts. It is certainly a natural progression from his last few projects, and while he's far beyond his Jane's days, like the "Trust No One" solo project from Dave Navarro, it is a very honest, natural move into new territory.

Help Wanted, after listening to it three time straight through, is not peppy music for sunny afternoons, but Avery has never embraced that light, disposable music. He really strikes me a an artist with integrity, from skipping the Jane's Addiction reunions, to focusing on music projects that are personal rather than attempts at commercialism. And his music will not end up of the radio, where they deserve to be, though his songs bleed with emotion and spirit that most of the tunes being spun don't have. It's hard to listen to them and not feel, for lack of better term, his presence and voice. He doesn't throw any tracks away on the album, and each one has a touch of melancholy with a rocking vibe that hold your attention. Take a listen to "Maybe", "Porchlight" or "Philo Beddoe" to see what I mean.

This is the music video for the track "All Remote And No Control", which is a great jumping off point for the rest of the songs on the album.