AIPTO: Mothball Mint (Kevin Hearn)

Who? Back to another member of the band that changed my life. Kevin is the fifth member of BNL in the same way that Joe is the fourth Guster—he was added later. The difference is that Joe was an outright addition; Kevin replaced Andy Creeggan who will have his own entry later. I’ve always wanted to just give Kevin a big hug. Big hug. But in person, he doesn’t really give off a hug-me vibe. Not that I’ve spoken to him, but we’ve been in close proximity. Anyway, if I were creating a team of master songwriters, Kevin would be towards the top of the list. He’s got this whimsical/lonely thing...man, if you could wear music, my socks would be made of Kevin's. Every pair.
Why it’s awesome: This is Kevin’s solo album. It’s an interesting piece in context because most of his later work is centered around having and surviving Leukemia. Not that that’s a bad thing—the Thin Buckle albums are stunning (this album was recorded by all the Thin Buckle guys too, but they weren’t Thin Buckle back then). But that’s the contrast between the bodies of work, the undertones. This is a more playful album comparatively, and the songs on it are priceless. The sad thing is it’s kind of a hard album to come by these days—I had to work to track this one down for a reasonable price. But I’ll share. A little.
In One Word: Dandelion
Song Rec: Bus Depot (Hometown).
Link: KevinHearn.com