2007 self-released
 

3½ out of 5

San Jose-based songwriter Adam Lynn treated us to a copy of Easter Basket. The scrapbook-y collection of mostly melancholy, stripped-down tunes recalls a wide variety of influences from the raw end of Mogwai's catalogue, to the acoustic balladry of Nick Drake, to the sparse and almost-robotic piano embellishment of Pinback. Lynn's shaky vocals compliment the vulnerable instrumentation well and add to the songs' reflective and somber quality. He takes a few unexpected turns, throwing varying amounts of synths and electronic beats into the mix, most effectively on the jarring full-on breakcore assault of "Shapes and Sharp Knives," which serves as an effective followup to the soundbite of a distraught phone message at the end of the previous track.

While the occcasionally distracting flaws of Lynn's home-studio production glare on a few of the songs, for the most part the raw feel of the recording fits the mood of his project well. On a few tracks, the vocals are almost overwhelming in the mix, but Lynn has a way of making mic clipping work as an effect among the otherwise bare-bones recording.
 

Sounds like: A Silver Mt. Zion meets Pinback and Richard D. James after the party.
Standout Tracks: "Put Them On to Take Them Off," "Dance Alone," "Forever Young"