Parts & Accessories CD/LP
Brian Moss a.k.a. Hanalei has returned, only this time he's not alone. The Chicago based singer/ songwriter/ media assassin, who released his first solo album 'We're All Natural Disasters' in 2003 has assembled a full band, whose cast includes members of Rollo Tomasi, Archeology and Pines. This sophomore long player, recorded in Chicago with producer Chris Carr, is a fine slab of indie-Americana that takes Moss' intimate poetic lyricism to a new plateau. Often compared to Ben Gibbard's Postal Service, these new songs lean more toward the alt-country twang of Jr. or Cash than the laptop-pop of Hanalei's earlier work. There's certainly more depth on Parts & Accessories, through layered instrumentation including banjo, fiddle and pedal steel guitars, the cool roots rock progression is a remarkable leap forward. Guests on this album include Cellist Jenny Choi, The Velvet Teen singer Josh Staples, Joe Cannon from Early Risers/Check Engine and Edward Lo from Sleepout. Fans of the "laptop folk" fear not as a remix record is also in the works.