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Written by Kevin Renick Sunday, 09 September 2007 09:39

Gerald Collier was the lead singer of the Seattle-based Best Kissers in the World in the early '90s.

Gerald Collier is one of those guys who's made a lot of music, but never got the break that would earn him wide visibility. He was the lead singer of the Seattle-based Best Kissers in the World in the early '90s, but the group ran into label troubles (their second album was never released), and even after he went solo, Collier ended up switching labels a few times. His sound is basically gritty but spirited alt-country, with moments of authentic rock 'n' roll abandon.

This disc is a collection of demos and unreleased tracks from the late ‘90s that makes for a reasonably well-paced, unified listen. There are six covers, including a top-notch take on the Rolling Stones' "Jigsaw Puzzle," Elton John's "Rocket Man" done as if Crazy Horse had recorded it with one of Collier's obvious influences, Neil Young, and a compelling read of Leonard Cohen's "Is This What You Wanted" (a song with utterly fascinating lyrics/intent). Six originals also grace the disc, with standouts being the poignant "Don't Discard Me" (nice lap steel here) and "For Taking My Baby Away" (an emotive revenge ballad), and the crunchy, full-bore Neil-ish tune "I'm Not Coming Back." Collier's voice isn't always memorable, and some of this stuff gets a little samey after awhile, but there's plenty of craft and musical smarts on display to generate interest in his (hopefully) future outings.  B- | Kevin Renick

RIYL: Nils Lofgren, Neil Young, Townes van Zandt