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Written by Mike Tangaro Saturday, 28 July 2007 11:15

Hagardorn took his time, recording over a six-year span only when he knew he had a great song.

I'm not going to lie. I wasn't expecting to like this album. Before even listening to it, I already had written off Kurt Hagardorn. There was something about the hand-drawn portrait cover art of a deep-thinking Kurt that just screamed "lame indie singer-songwriter" to me. After listening to 10 Singles, I realized just how wrong I was.

In many ways, this album is a summation of Hagardorn's long career in music. Hagardorn took his time, recording over a six-year span only when he knew he had a great song. Combining his early experimentation in country rock with band Brian and the Nightmares with his later work in acclaimed '90s indie-pop band Gumption, Hagardorn has found his stride. The result is Ten Singles, an album that melds Beach Boys harmonies, Beatles pop flourishes and classic alt-country á la Wilco. The fruit of his labor is a poppy alt-country album sure to please anyone riding down a country highway or sitting poolside, soaking up the sun. B+ | Mike Tangaro

RIYL: Wilco, The Jayhawks, My Morning Jacket