Spun by Jim Kremens

He sings like Bob Dylan with crystallized honey in his mouth: crusty and mellow, rich and golden, and so powerful in his restrained emotions that he makes you lean towards your radio to get closer. And his style sounds like he and his band are communing with the Beatles while they chat on the phone with Simon & Garfunkel and text-message U2.

The album is so mature, it's hard to believe Spun is Kremens' debut. There is a song here for almost every stage of life, from first love to renewed love to mid-life crisis. The album is so solid, it's impossible to pick a best song, but several tracks stand out. "Macchu Picchu" and "Ordinary Day" feature soaring vocals, powerful harmonies and great guitar. "I Couldn't Love You More Than This" may be the most tender of the album's many love songs, but listen closely to "Give Me Your Kiss" for some Morrissey-like weirdness amidst all the romance. Actually, you should listen to all the songs. Then when you are done, burn yourself a second copy, because if you like inspired music with perfect vocals and folk music's universal beauty, you will wear out Spun long before a second album comes along.

Tracie Vida, Rambles.net

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"I've tried to write music that was inevitable, that could not be denied. I want the listener to feel like these songs have always existed. I listened almost exclusively to the Beatles for the first 11 years of my life. The rest of my influences are no great mystery - I think they're lots of other people's influences too: the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, a little Bruce, Paul Simon, some Joni Mitchell - Carol King amazes me. I guess I'm also a product of the singing groups I've been a part of throughout my life. First church choirs, then later, a cappella groups. For me, it's all about harmony and the sound of the human voice. I play in NY clubs with my band. We mainly do The Bitter End and the Mercury Lounge." Jim Kremens

Spun was released on Evangeline Recorded Works in Europe placing Jim Kremens among an elite roster of songwriters including Graham Parker and Loudon Wainwright III. The album has received excellent critical recognition, including:

"...it's all instantly memorable and, it has to be said, likeable... a near perfect collection of folk-tinged pop songs for the summer and beyond... Kremens manages to sound evocative without being sentimental... the whole album is a real delight to listen to from beginning to end... While some records leave you crawling around looking for the killer track, Kremens' almost leaves you suffocated by them... - americana-uk"

"As debut albums go, American singer-songwriter Jim Kremens' 'Spun' is arguably one of the most impressive you'll hear this year... the closing pair of tracks 'Macchu Picchu' and 'Denied' are just so good that you wonder why Kremens didn't use them as the album's openers" - Classic Rock Magazine, UK

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