responsible

piano-centric pop music...given the emergence of Ben Fold Five, when Teenbeat released the debut album of Robert Schipul six years ago, the album potentially had wings or at least a potential fanbase for those of us who enjoy what a classically trained pianist can bring to the pop world. initially winning me over with a barebones cover of the Smith's "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" on a 1999 Teenbeat compilation, the ct. native was a mere fifteen years old when the label released his debut album, the American Scene, soon aferwards. Schipul was one of only two artists the label has signed by way of a demo submission. the American Scene is really two albums for one, capturing eleven songs noticably recorded by mark robinson and trevor holland, whose poptronic nuances show up on several occasions and then the album wraps up with a collection of several sonatas. Schipul locally released a follow-up on Starlet a year afterwards and briefly showed up on the now defunct Unlike Label three years back. i can't say for sure what he's up to these days, but i wanted to revisit this album because unfortunately it did go widely unlooked by a lot of people despite being quite good. i'd be curious to hear a something new. to make up for yesterday's absence, i'm including two of the albums tracks, including one of the aforementioned sonatas.

Robert Schipul "Responsible"
"Sonata 4"