This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
He’s not invisible; he’s just shrouded in darkness.
Former American Music Club leader Mark Eitzel continues to defend his long-held title of Moodiest Man in Showbiz with yet another knockout collection of his tortured soul-baring, heartstring-plucking folk-pop balladry. As usual, tunes like Can You See?, Sleep and Bitterness have lyrics that read like someone’s diary (“I don’t know if I will ever love again”), delivered in the intense whisper of a long-buried confession. Also as usual, his tasteful arrangements and finely honed melodies recall Elvis Costello. But this time, Eitzel adds a new wrinkle to his hair shirt — layers of trip-hoppy, shimmering synths and woozy beatboxes that give the disc a chilly Portishead vibe. Whatever. Like all Eitzel records, this one is meant to be heard through headphones with the lights off. All the better to not see him with.
