On this restless troubadour's previous releases, his dour monotone and spare arrangements did little to alleviate the bleakness of his literary-minded lyrics. While Richard Buckner hasn't (and shouldn't) turn into Mr. Joyb... more »oy, it's an ear-opening revelation to hear his songs in the warmer and more sonically expansive settings of this self-produced, home-studio recording. With only the backing of his wife, Penny Jo Buckner, on drums, he plainly had no concern about time or budget as he layered his first collection of original material in four years with celesta-like bells and keyboard electronics that occasionally evoke the incongruous influence of '80s synth-pop. "Trust me, I know where I am," he sings in "Born into Giving It Up." Highlights ranging from the luminous balladry of "Put On What You Wanna" to the spaghetti-Western twang of "Stumble Down," indicate that the listener should take him on faith. No, Buckner hasn't gone all "new romantic" on us, but who knew that the bard of existential despair had this much Phil Spector in him? --Don McLeese« less
On this restless troubadour's previous releases, his dour monotone and spare arrangements did little to alleviate the bleakness of his literary-minded lyrics. While Richard Buckner hasn't (and shouldn't) turn into Mr. Joyboy, it's an ear-opening revelation to hear his songs in the warmer and more sonically expansive settings of this self-produced, home-studio recording. With only the backing of his wife, Penny Jo Buckner, on drums, he plainly had no concern about time or budget as he layered his first collection of original material in four years with celesta-like bells and keyboard electronics that occasionally evoke the incongruous influence of '80s synth-pop. "Trust me, I know where I am," he sings in "Born into Giving It Up." Highlights ranging from the luminous balladry of "Put On What You Wanna" to the spaghetti-Western twang of "Stumble Down," indicate that the listener should take him on faith. No, Buckner hasn't gone all "new romantic" on us, but who knew that the bard of existential despair had this much Phil Spector in him? --Don McLeese
"Look, folks- just because you may not have heard of him doesn't mean Richard Buckner is not a major recording artist. He's making music equal to and better than Dylan, Springsteen, Joni and whoever else is going to be nominated for Grammies this year at his expense. His talent is utterly unique in popular music right now, and he's at the top of his game. Get on board- NOW! Devotion + Doubt, Since, and now Impasse are MAJOR records. Their effect will be profound and lasting. This is music that insists that you put down what you are doing and engage with it (so be careful what you are doing when you first try it on.) I could go on and on with alot of blah blah about specific qualities that this album possesses, but I would prefer not to waste any more of your time and simply urge you to snag Devotion + Doubt, Since, and Impasse. I dare you not to be moved. Buckner, along with Grace Braun and perhaps Iris Dement (if she'd put out some new music, dammit!) are among the most vital and uniquely gifted writers and singers today, and Buckner has not let us down with Impasse.5 stars is not enough."
Alt. Country Genre Transcendence
bruce watson | Belgrave, Victoria Australia | 11/03/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Alt. Country deity Richard Buckner has put his best cowboy boot forward minus the Calexico core of Burns and Convertino (who provided masterful support on 'The Hill'). As great as that release was, nobody would be missing them on "Impasse". (Buckner
played all instruments and his wife played percussion). As usual, he stretches the genre envelope into ethereal realms, and even the (sparsely used) 'cheesy' synthesizer sounds just right. Cannot this man produce anything less than exultant music? What gifts the music God hath bestowed! Let it vibrate the chakra of your heart."
My album of the year
Laura M. Witkowski | Charlotte, NC | 12/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Richard Buckner can convey beauty and warmth with his voice while subsequently giving you chills - and that is a combination that has me completely won over. His lyrics and music sound positively organic and real and this album is by far his best yet. Oddly, many have claimed that this is some kind of departure for him sound-wise, but I do not find that to be the case. Permanently placing Buckner in the "alt-country" category does him and his talents a grave disservice. He is one of the most earnest and talented musicians I have ever heard: by far my album of the year."
Uncategorizable and uncompromising
pschattel2 | Arden, NC United States | 10/16/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Buckner has traditionally been labelled alternative country, but his music has always been a little to the left of everything else. Intelligent, literary, mysterious, and with unforgettable melodies, Buckner has suprised and delighted his listeners with every album. With "Impasse" he has done it again: Very different yet seemingly inevitable, this new album references such early-eighties post-punk bands like Modern English and Wire, but still stays within that same inexplicable realm -- part Pavement, part Nick Drake, part Ralph Stanley ... and now part Cure? Fascinating stuff.If there's a gripe, its that he seems to be moving into the same lyrically inaccessible place that Jay Farrar went to -- all metaphor and simile, and few real connections. He is undoubtedly one of rock's best lyricists, but it's tough to relate to such obliqueness. You hum the melodies, but you don't always sing along.Still, its encouraging to see an artist refuse to compromise and keep challenging his audience. Buckner is one of our finest, most integral artists. His boundaries seem almost limitless."
Junkmedia Review - Most accessible yet
junkmedia | Los Angeles, CA | 02/21/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"When I heard that Richard Buckner had recorded his latest album at his home studio with no other musicians, save for his wife on drums, I braced myself for a painfully raw, minimalist piece of work. After all, this is the same Richard Buckner who took MCA's major label bucks and made two of the most willfully deconstructed and personal albums of the '90s (1996's Devotion and Doubt and 1998's Since). Those albums twisted simple chord progressions and traditional songwriting styles into almost wholly unrecognizable shapes, often to brilliant effect. Not surprisingly, Buckner's relationship with MCA lasted for only those two albums. Now that he's been left to his own devices (on the tiny Chicago-based indie, Overcoat), it stands to reason that he would come up with something even more radical, even more exploratory. But Impasse, the new album in question, is not some guttural primal scream committed to tape. In fact, it's probably Buckner's most accessible release thus far. And, in a happy coincidence, it's also probably his best. Impasse is a powerful, wrenching work, both impeccably crafted and passionately felt. The most surprising aspect of the album is Buckner's reliance on synthesizers. The songwriter's wooly vocals pitted against symphonic keyboard swirls sounds like an odd move at first, but it's an almost wholly successful one. Though Impasse may not have had the budget of Buckner's major label offerings, it's his richest, most sonically varied recording. Case in point, the stunning "(a year ahead)...& a light," which kicks off with a galloping beat and a gorgeous twin-guitar hook and segues seamlessly into a soothing acoustic slide guitar and synth middle section, only to burst into a high-speed finale. Not a moment is wasted on Impasse: each song is focused and economical, and each song consistently rewards repeated listening. As usual, Buckner's lyrics are uniformly excellent. With the precision of a short story writer and the tortured soul of a poet, he conveys heartache and loss like few can. Impasse sees Buckner taking a slightly more impressionistic approach to lyrics, but, as a whole, they make up what feels like an ebbing and flowing narrative. It's no mistake that the lyrics are printed in the album's booklet as a whole piece, unbroken by song titles. So I'll go ahead and say it, even though I dread making proclamations such as these: Impasse is easily one of 2002's best albums. It'd be a shame if it didn't get the exposure it deserves. Tyler Wilcox
Junkmedia Review"