[.ca] We Didn't Even Suspect He ..

Amazon.ca:
The "sensitive" Rheostatic releases a solo CD. Fans of Martin Tielli's work with his regular crew will find much to enjoy on this disc, which is a mostly acoustic effort showcasing the singer-songwriter's unique vocal phrasing, rudimentary guitar playing and lightly sketched lyrical portraits. The soft-focus "World in a Wall" finds reassurance in the presence of "The mite and the spider" after "the X" moves out. "Voices from the Wilderness" is a haunting Canadian landscape, while the more abstract "Double X" seethes with lines like "For all the X-traneous mothers who bored their children with X-perienced lies." A cover of Scott Walker's melancholy "Farmer in the City" fits perfectly with the disc's (and Tielli's) outsider artist vibe, while a collaboration with fellow Rheostatic Dave Bidini called "How Can You Sleep (With the Light on in Your Head)?" could probably as easily have been on a Rheos album. "That's How They Do It in Warsaw" is the disc's lone rocker, and comes with lyrics like "That's how they do it in Warsaw/I'll show you the glories of coleslaw." That We Didn't Even Suspect That He Was the Poppy Salesman is quirky and unique comes as no surprise, but that it's as affecting and lovely as it is makes it a quiet revelation. --Shawn Conner

Minor correction:
This album makes you realize how much of the Rheostatic 'sound' comes from Martin. Obviously, Dave's writing shaped much of the group's music, but Martin's voice brings songs to life. The product review above is fairly accurate, although I don't think the author has any idea what the word 'rudimentary' means. How on earth would you describe this level of musicianship as 'rudimentary'?

• I'll Never Tear You Apart
• My Sweet Relief
• Double X
• Voices from the Wilderness
• Farmer in the City
• World in a Wall
• That's They How They Do It in Warsaw
• How Can You Sleep?
• She Said, "We're on Our Way Down"
• From the Reel
• Wetbrain/Your War