The highlights of the album are mature, thoughtful songs that fit comfortably into the listener’s ear. The simplest songs here are the strongest, as in the plaintive acoustic ballad “What You Wanted” and the lazy-Sunday vibe and great pedal steel of “Can You Hear Me Now.” That number and “Ain’t So” call up comparisons to influential alt-country band Mojave 3, which is an impressive feat indeed.
The scorned “Just Like Hell” takes a different tack, putting the members’ rock chops to best use. A good vocal performance and memorable guitar work make this a highlight on the opposite end of their sound.
It’s not a perfect album, as some of the tracks blur together, but “Promises, Promises” shows promise in a genre that demands excellent songwriting. It will be interesting to see how The Workweek’s sound develops over future releases. The highlight tracks, however, are already mixtape-worthy.
Catch The Workweek with Gentle Ghost at 9:30 p.m. Friday at The Deli, 309 White in Norman. For more information, call 321-7048 or visit thedeli.us. —Stephen Carradini
