The debut solo outing from
Eric Pulido
, the frontman for mercurial Lone Star State folk-rockers
Midlake
and a member of indie rock supergroup
BNQT
,
To Each His Own
builds on his flagship band's predilection toward pairing dusty indie folk with sunset 70's pop, and puts the emphasis on the latter. Enlisting help from
alumni
Joey McClellan
(electric guitar),
McKenzie Smith
(drums),
Jesse Chandler
(flute), and Dallas-based session greats
Daniel Creamer
(keyboards) and
Beau Bedford
(keyboards) of the
Texas Gentlemen
Pulido
and company carve out a wide swath of pop real estate that invokes the spirits of
Harry Nilsson
Eagles
, and
Cat Stevens
. The allure of nostalgia looms large over
's 11 cuts.
wrestles with accepting the present while still coming to terms with the past on the sprightly opener "Used to Be" and heartfelt follow-up "When the Time Comes" -- the former is bolstered by an immensely likeable video featuring a suited-up
and his bandmates, with fellow Texan
Jason Lee
acting as the coach, replaying a little league baseball game they lost all those years ago. He looks south of the border for inspiration on the shuffling "CLP" -- the song was apparently sparked by some Calypso-induced dance moves by
's three-year-old son -- and again inward on the moving "Don't Forget Me" and "Not an Island," both of which suggest a warmer and less sardonic
Father John Misty
.
goes down plenty easy, due in large part to the effortless soft rock arrangements -- warm electric piano, weepy pedal steel, lush harmonies -- but all of those breezy pop vibes would feel rote were it not for
's affable presence and keen ear for melody. ~ James Christopher Monger