Mark Dignam begins this album with a light and dreamy blend of pop and alt country on Divine, which describes the track quite well. Coming from a crop of singer/songwriters who would include Josh Ritter and Josh Rouse, Dignam uses his strong timbre to nail each song to near perfection in the way Ryan Adams honed Gold. Build on the other hand is a kind of electro-roots tune with a political message that ambles along easily thanks to Dignam's brilliant melody, a talent that the musician seems to create constantly. Hope is more radio-friendly in a pop mode and could be mistaken for the Go-Betweens with the dual harmonies. Perhaps the lone effort that could be mildly disappointing is Pinwheel which seems like a patio pop tune in the vein of John Mayer. The miscue is atoned for with the gorgeous, precious and somewhat hymn-like Ghosts that has the singer downplaying the vocals in an almost monotone fashion à la a Celtic Lou Reed. The mid-tempo and infectious Jane could often be mistaken for a track by the Proclaimers, but Dignam gives it more bite here. Perhaps the highlight is Kindred which is a simple roots tune but with the singer opening up vocally and melodically. A close second, though, is the melancholic and very vivid Deceiver that is pure Americana from an Irish perspective. On the whole Box Heart Man is an album extremely well-crafted and adventurous at the same time. ~ Jason MacNeil, Rovi

1		Divine
2		Build
3		Hope
4		Pinwheel
5		Ghosts
6		Fable
7		Jane
8		Kindred
9		Flags
10		Deceiver
11		Royalty

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