By: David Schultz

Jamie Block, who performs under his last name, has been a bit of a mainstay on the New York singer-songwriter circuit for quite a few years. He flirted with success in the late 90s, releasing his debut album on Glen Ballard's Java Records.

Earlier this year, Block released The Last Single Guy, his first album in nearly 8 years. Coming onto the market with little fanfare, the sparse but poetic album slipped through the cracks. Right about the time that it might otherwise be fading into obscurity, DJ Claudia Marshall of New York City's WFUV has been making a one-woman effort to revive interest in Block's worthy effort.

Although not strictly a do-it-yourself effort, The Last Single Guy has the same warm quirky feel that Beck infuses into his work, getting the same mileage of simple repetitive beats. Block's voice may not be expressive but his lyrics are. When it comes to looking at the present in terms of what's missing from the past, Block can surely turn a poetic phrase. Over most of the album, Block sings in a dry deadpan voice a la fellow New Yorker Lou Reed; the delivery perfectly matches the mood of the songs. In "Avenue A," he mourns the transformation of the once hip area into "a punk theme park;" on "Molly Malone" he updates a timeless folk song into an urban locale and closes the album by giving an ironic twist to the old standard "Show Business." In an era where DJs have little opportunity to introduce their audience to music that might otherwise escape their attention, Marshall's efforts to find an audience for Block deserve recognition and hopefully enough positive feedback to encourage other DJs to repeat the gambit.

Labels: Block