Under the creative direction of Benjamin Gibbard, ¡All Time Quarterback! produced two short releases in 1999. First was the self-titled release that offered 5 studio tracks, all of which are to be found on this record. Second was "The Envelope Sessions" which features an introductionary track and 3 more tracks that didn't make the cut for this record. The quirky, artful song writing and lo-fi nature of the songs gives them a lot of allure.
There's an electronic component to the songs but it's also a very artful poppy dimension to the songs that combines nicely in the setting of this record. The previously unreleased Dinner at Eight in the Suburubs has a Beatles-esque subtle melody that enhances Gibbard's colorful vocals and helps it carry on.
Throughout the record you can hear influences from The Beatles to Weezer but Gibbard shows to be a smart songwriter when he plays around with little melodies and subtle chord progressions that are primarily suited to support his singing though occasionally he uses the arrangement as an ambient atmosphere that envelopes the song (for example on Why I Cry).
The best song on the album is Underwater in which Gibbard has an almost breakable tone in his voice and which features a little more lyrical content. All in all ¡All Time Quarterback! is a nice little record but it's nothing groundbreaking. Most memorable is Benjamin Gibbard's vocal performance as it takes the lead on all the songs with the music taking second place. It is impressive though how he manages to tie the vocals and the subtle arrangements together but eventually you hope for at least a couple of songs that have more of a melodic background.
There's an electronic component to the songs but it's also a very artful poppy dimension to the songs that combines nicely in the setting of this record. The previously unreleased Dinner at Eight in the Suburubs has a Beatles-esque subtle melody that enhances Gibbard's colorful vocals and helps it carry on.
Throughout the record you can hear influences from The Beatles to Weezer but Gibbard shows to be a smart songwriter when he plays around with little melodies and subtle chord progressions that are primarily suited to support his singing though occasionally he uses the arrangement as an ambient atmosphere that envelopes the song (for example on Why I Cry).
The best song on the album is Underwater in which Gibbard has an almost breakable tone in his voice and which features a little more lyrical content. All in all ¡All Time Quarterback! is a nice little record but it's nothing groundbreaking. Most memorable is Benjamin Gibbard's vocal performance as it takes the lead on all the songs with the music taking second place. It is impressive though how he manages to tie the vocals and the subtle arrangements together but eventually you hope for at least a couple of songs that have more of a melodic background.