s. brooks generally drives the speed limit, takes detours, crosses bridges, amplifies unnecessarily, pines for silly things and does it all in one take. generally, his songs can be like quiet walks in a garden with a man who plays some guerilla in revolt. but in the garden he is meandering and carefree, unlike his fragmentary existence on "the other side." though his songs reflect morose strolls in higher consciousness, he is also visceral like a "retarded genius."

nrooks' debut solo CD, "in preparations for dance" collects mostly stripped-down, acoustic versions of songs he plays in his band of 6 years and 6 albums, minmae. however, this can be seen as a starting point or a catching-up-with Brooks' more intimate moments, which will serve as a springboard for what will be more s. brooks solo-work, truly by himself or even by himself and with his imaginary side band, the scars, which may be him and his music in 'live' version with minmae assuming the name of the scars.

i'm sure you find all of this to be self-indulgent indie-rock pedantry, and maybe you're right, but the aesthetic in the music is real, whether it wears a sweater or a panoply of wool.

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