orget Jay Bennett’s former band- their name will not even be mentioned here. Forget feeling like you have to side with that band’s lead singer or with Bennett. Forget the middling reviews you may have read previous to this one. That‘s just the hipsters dogging something they can‘t possibly understand. Forget your indie-cred for a damn moment and do yourself a favor and run out and buy Bennett and Edward Burch’s debut album, The Palace at 4am (Part 1), right now.


Working together for years, when the time permitted, Bennett and Burch have written and recorded a ridiculous amount of songs together (so many, that talk of a three CD boxed set debut was thrown around). That time solidified a friendship that has enabled the duo to craft some of the most engaging pop/rock songs of recent memory. In a perfect world, nearly every track on this album would have a shot at the top of the charts.


Every song on this album is chock full of wall-to-wall instrumentation. Some call that a hindrance, but, there is not one single instance where the music overwhelms the melodies. The song always comes first and each song is a treasure trove of pleasures.


From the opening song, “Puzzle Heart“, with its George Harrison-esque guitar solo (Bennett and Burch are covering a song of Harrison’s for an upcoming tribute album to the late Beatle‘s work) and Mariachi-style horns, kicks things off in the perfect manner. Bennett’s voice, one that takes some getting used to (imagine the crooning style of Elvis Costello, tinged with a morning-after-the-party rasp, and you get the idea) melds nicely with Burch’s (as it does on most of the album) to give the song its proper mood.


“Talk To Me” showcases what an amazing voice Burch has. “Whispers or Screams’” best asset is that killer keyboard breakdown in the middle of the song, reminiscent of The Band‘s Garth Hudson. “Shakin’ Sugar“, written by Bennett and Jeff Tweedy, is a far superior version than the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot outtakes would suggest. In fact, all of the songs that were recorded by Bennett’s former band that appear here are stronger than in their original incarnations, especially “Venus Stopped The Train”, which is dominated by yet another particularly strong vocal turn by Burch.


“Forgiven”, a lovely song filled with melancholy, features some beautiful flugelhorn work by Nate Walcott. “It Hurts” showcases Bennett’s best vocal work. The song is remorseful in tone, but never sappy in spirit. Similar to YHF’s album closer, this song sends the listener out in as quiet a manner as “Puzzle Heart” energizes the start of it.


“California” may enthrall the alternative country fans out there. It is about the closest to that form as the album ever comes. Though the album is essentially roots/pop music, it never panders to the level of being simply “country”. The song features some of the best harmony vocal work found on the album and is a great tune to blast as you make your way down the road.


The best tune and the most captivating on the album is “Drinking On Your Dime”. With its fuzzed-out guitars, foot-stomping beats, Sgt. Pepper-esque keyboards and perfect harmonies, this song is nothing short of mesmerizing. “I’m singing all your songs tonite/With a tune that never sticks in my head”, vocalized by Burch, but more than likely written by Bennett and aimed at Tweedy, this is perhaps the only shot that he will ever fire at his former band mate.


With a stripped down acoustic version of this album due out in the near future, their constant touring and promises of a Palace two and three, there appears to be no stopping the creative output of Bennett and Burch. There is also no doubting that each endeavor the duo releases will be an amazing experience to listen to.