James Macdonald's second full lengther is another speed/thrash/death metal classic. Just joshing - we call his style "Raw Lounge", though it¡¯s more Pop than Iggy. James sounds like the result of a love union between Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson after meeting for cocktails at a Vegas nitespot. This platter could have been the soundtrack of choice for dinner parties at Sammy Davis Jnr¡¯s place in the Swinging Sixties. Elevator Music For Unrequited Lovers is the perfect recipe for long lazy summer nights on the front verandah gazing at the stars and a great companion piece for James' acclaimed first effort, Believe in You. Now, here at Laughing Outlaw we don¡¯t feel the need to tell you much more about James MacDonald except that he¡¯s done the seemingly impossible ¨C in Elevator Music For Unrequited Lovers (don¡¯t you love the title?), he¡¯s delivered an album that actually surpasses Believe In You. REVIEWS "Bands all over the world are hip to the idea that great music can be created out of the combination of jangly guitars, upbeat melodies and tight vocal melodies that characterised British pop from the late Sixties. Australian James Macdonald's sophomore album is a perfect example of sophisticated power-pop, his velvety voice beautifully complemented by complex instrumentation and chiming guitars. File under Rundgrenesque. " ¡ï¡ï¡ï1/2 - Uncut Magazine, UK ¡°This surprise package offers a diverse but sweet listen, one not steeped in seriousness or self importance thanks to Macdonald¡¯s voice and an equally weightless setting. The Beach Boys-esque ¡°Won¡¯t Be Long¡±, the pop quirk of ¡°Elevator Music (Just One Kiss)¡± and ¡°So Melancholy¡±, and the sunny acoustics of ¡°This Song¡± shine. A cover of Gilbert O¡¯Sullivan¡¯s ¡°Alone Again¡± gives the tune a new ¡®cool¡¯.¡± 7/10 ¨C Juice Magazine, Australia ¡°Part torch song, part Broadway, part cabaret, ¡®Elevator Music for Unrequited Lovers¡¯ is pretty, clever, meticulously planned and tastefully executed. Like the work of other great pop swooners such as Finn or Matthew Sweet, Macdonald makes his songs seem effortless.¡± - ALBUM OF THE WEEK, Beat Magazine, Melbourne ¡°James Macdonald has one part of the pop requirements down pat: wistfulness. Even more than his rather gorgeous debut release, Believe In You, the Melburnian¡¯s sophomore album conjures up rainy days and cold Mondays sitting by the window watching couples walking by¡­ Indeed, except for the toe-tapping, countrified Blue Jaw, you could play Elevator Music¡­ on an easy-listening station without any problem, so lushly set and smoothly delivered is it. It¡¯s very pretty, romantically sad and unmistakably MOR¡­¡± ¨C Sydney Morning Herald "Imagine Burt Bacharach in rattlesnake boots and a 10-gallon hat, and you come close to the lounge side of Macdonald. Take Hank Williams (pick any of the three) and put him in a crushed velour suit and twinkling smile, and you have Macdonald's raw, countrified, folksy (sometimes Latin-flavored) side... Overall, Elevator Music For Unrequited Lovers is a solid pop record, hitting all the spots pop music is concerned with. His real talent is creating head-bopping melodies, and backing them with strong guitar comping. Also, throughout the album, but mostly on "Because Of You", Macdonald experiments with horn, something we're seeing more of lately, especially with the coming of Beulah's latest opus, The Coast Is Never Clear. Macdonalds' forays into 60s-style pop writing ranks up there with the Beulah boys, but his powerful, swan-soft voice puts him in bold relief from his contemporaries." - Pop Culture Press (US) "Sparklingly self- produced, James Macdonald has the sound and feel of a man from whom a startling pop masterpiece is forthcoming, and I have every confidence in him to deliver." - Comes With A Smile (UK)