The myth of songwriter Jimmy Crouse precedes him &mdsah; a myth known to few listeners today, and few even then — near three decades back — when Crouse strummed slowly and unadorned to Wilmington, DE audiences, converting some right on the spot. Appropriate then that a small set of his early-90s songs, now available via Specific Recordings, bears a dazzling and oracular name: The Myth Of The Great Outright Extraordinary.
In contrast to Crouse’s contemporary home recordings, these tracks were collaborative studio works, appearing on 7-inches, zine comps, and as test pressings for an unrealized album. We are weighing small output (five studio recordings) against large timetables (20-plus years divide them from when Jimmy began to share his music again). But the scales balance, thanks to the power of the songs.
What do these letters from long ago offer now? Only universally unexplored testimonies to introspection that play like cherished classics, as the melodies fill your awareness with an accumulation of staggering grace.
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