29 Palms – Fatal Joy (1990)

Neither of the two albums that the U.K.'s 29 Palms recorded for IRS became huge in the U.S., but those who were lucky enough to hear them realized that the folk-rock and pop/rock duo had a lot of potential. Fatal Joy, the first of the two, is an often charming collection that inspired comparisons to Van Morrison when it came out in 1990. To be sure, Morrison is a valid comparison, although he isn't the duo's only influence. 29 Palms had a lot of American influences as well, and those who give Fatal Joy a close listen will also hear traces of storytellers who range from Bruce Springsteen to Billy Joel to Randy Newman (minus the extreme cynicism that has characterized much of his work). Lead singer Simon Wilson and guitarist/background vocalist Davy Simpson, the two U.K. residents who comprise 29 Palms, obviously identify with the singer/songwriter tradition -- not only on the British Isles, but also in North America. And the fact that they have a variety of influences to draw on is a definite plus, because it prevents Fatal Joy from becoming predictable. Even though its songs can be categorized as folk-rock or pop/rock, 29 Palms will -- depending on its mood -- incorporate anything from blues to jazz to Celtic music (both Scottish and Irish). But while Fatal Joy is diverse, it never sounds unfocused or confused. Although both of the duo's IRS albums (1990's Fatal Joy and 1992's No Eden) went out of print in the 1990s, they're worth hearing if you can track them down.