I LOVE when a full developed artist arrives out the blue, flying totally under my radar until suddenly - BAM! - they land in my CD player and I fall in love with music that suprises, challenges, emotionally moves me and brings me out on the other side of joy. Michael Behm is one such artist and his two albums, the 2009 release "Saving America" and the 2004 "Love Songs For The Emotionally Impaired" are ones that I will pushing for many years to come. I review them here together, bundled in the hopes you just trust me and pick them both up as they are *that* pleasurable.
The signposts of the sounds here will be familiar to many Not Lamers - Jason Falkner, Owsley, The Grays, The Rembrandts, Mike Viola and The Candy Butchers, Bleu and Jim Boggia. LISTEN to the soundbites of both albums and the quality to should be self-evident. The production quality, the arrangements reach skyward and do not stint on low-ambition. Behm is not interested in writing cookie-cutter pop music but works of kaleidoscopic tapestries lasting value. Bless the man, he delivers.
"My partner in crime Par Winberg raved about Vancouver son Michael Behm earlier here on melodic.net but this is the first time I hear an album with Behm. It`s his 2005 album "Love songs for the emotionally impaired" but I`m glad I did because it`s such a classy piece of work for powerpop freaks like myself. Soundwise Behm stand somewhere between Owsley, Todd Rundgren and Jellyfish. I`m impressed by the production where the guitars are crystal clear and every other instrument lies perfect in the mix, Behm has a real nice voice that fits this sunny pop rock like a glove. " Melodic.net. This guy has been flying totally unknown by fans at places like Not Lame and I see very little written about him on Google, which is insanely perplexing, folks. Let us change that! This material not only merits investment on your shelves, but a bit of extra typing of letting the blogosphere and `net know that Michael Behm is an artist to savor.
Bruce Brodeen
