CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
“JACK TEMPCHIN” (Arista):: In which the successful L.A. songwriter, and former (putative) Funky King becomes a Schmeagle for our time—in the course of four terrific songs he loses his keys, misplaces his car, doesn’t get laid, and spends 15 days under the hood.
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
by
Robert Christgau
“JACK TEMPCHIN” (Arista):: In which the successful L.A. songwriter, and former (putative) Funky King becomes a Schmeagle for our time—in the course of four terrific songs he loses his keys, misplaces his car, doesn’t get laid, and spends 15 days under the hood. That’s the trick, Jack—tell * enough jokes on yourself and your self-pity becomes tolerable. B
SHOES: “Black Vinyl Shoes” (PVC):: Recorded by elves on a Teac four-track in a living room in Zion, Illinois, this offers 15 hooky, bittersweet reflections on sexual strategy among the under-25s. Clever melodic contours plus vocals faded and echoed so far back they take on the mystery of synthesized guitars equal a natural for pop Obsessives. A-