This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
There aren’t many singer-songwriters out there who can out-mope Elliott Smith, but Chicago troubadour Michael Krassner just might be one of them.
In fact, on his self-titled debut, Krassner makes ol’ Mr. Misery seem positively giddy as he spins a series of country-folk laments about lost loves and “everlasting miseries (that) follow me around.” Oddly enough, though, Krassner’s bittersweet symphonies won’t leave you so lonesome you could cry. Instead, his sincere Lennonesque simplicity and ear for melody invest these loose-limbed tunes with a fragile beauty and sparse elegance, making them as gently relaxing as a warm, late-night breeze.
