As the decades pass, it’s amazing how each generation mints a new round of artists who remind of the early ‘70s Neil Young. Freshly returned to the Portland, OR label that properly launched him with the 2003 Under the Unminding Skies EP, L.A.-by-way-of Colorado folk-popper Park is at his best on his third LP, recorded once again by Dave Trumfio . He sure got compared to Ryan Adams and Elliott Smith up the wazoo on the first two, 2003’s Loneliness Knows My Name and 2007’s Everyone’s in Everyone, but in truth, any influence from either more contemporary source always seemed more slender than persuasive. Whereas in the early going here, several songs are straight out of the 38-year-old Harvest playbook, modern variations on “Out on the Weekend” and “Heart of Gold” in cadence, acoustic plucking, pace, and simple, poised tunefulness. (On the opening “You’ll Get Over,” Park even breaks out Young’s trademark blues harmonica.) Fortunately, even on these first half songs, Park’s melodies diverge from Young’s, trading the old living legend’s forlorn, subdued countryish regrets for a lush sounding, hopeful, good-guy optimism that can’t be tamped down even when his lyrics do occasionally fret. Moreover, compared with Young’s scratchy, bird-like, whiskey-yelp, Park has a classical breathy voice, much akin to Ron Sexsmith (whose music Park also greatly resembles, when he leaves the Young-isms behind on the second half, like the more classical folk rock-blues “Silence and Storm”). So though he might lament the lass he let loose (“You Were Always the One”), grow frustrated over the carelessly clueless (the aforementioned, standout “You’ll Get Over”), summon some courage (“Time Won’t Wait”), or admit that even optimists must have their doubts (“The Long Night”), there’s no overarching hand-wringing over what’s passed, lost, or changing from Park. With a voice like a soft angel and a sincerity that’s offered rather than advertised, Come is beautiful piece of pristine acoustic pop performance—simple, affecting, and ringing true from first note to farewell. (badmanrecordingco.com)
